Electus Unum, Original
by RebelDroideka
Summary: When Nathan Potter's twin brother was entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, things quickly spiraled out of control. Now, Voldemort's reign of terror can only be ended by one man; but they have to convince him that they are worth saving first... (Rewritten. This version will be taken down July 5th, 2016)
1. Part I Chapter 1

Part I, Chapter I

June 24th, 1995

_Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts School_

The crowd stared at the hedges in anticipation. Two glowing dots, hovering over the maze, had met up with the white orb representing the Tri-Wizard Cup. All three disappeared. The crowd drew in a breath... and when the champions did not appear on the victory stage, began to grow concerned.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was especially worried. He had had his eye on the preparations for the Task, and had even assigned his close friend Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody to place the cup inside the maze. That it had been somehow tampered with...

Several minutes passed, and the people in the stands were near panic. Finally, the Champions reappeared. The crowd screamed in joy, a feeling of elation overtaking them. The Champions, Cedric Diggory, star seeker for the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team, and Harry Potter, brother of the Boy-Who-Lived, had returned!... then they noticed the blood pooling from Diggory's slashed neck, the stiff posture of his corpse.

Headmaster Dumbledore raced from the judges' booth, accompanied by Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department for International Magical Cooperation, and Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. As they approached, they could hear Potter whisper, "He's back, Dumbledore! He's back!"

"Arrest him!" Fudge shouted. Dumbledore could only look on in sadness as the Aurors grabbed the child roughly by the neck. He should have seen the signs that the boy was going dark. The similarities between him and Riddle were striking.

Harry Potter looked up in horror. What-?! In panic, his eyes scanned the crowd, looking for his brother. The twins' eyes met for a brief moment. Nathaniel's eyes held grief and regret, and Harry closed his eyes in agony. Even his brother, who had supported him through thick and thin, thought him a murderer.


	2. Part I Chapter 2

Part I, Chapter II

October 31st, 1995

_Great Hall, Hogwarts_

"Dark Lord Potter Still at Large," the Daily Prophet headline read. Nathan sighed. Over three months ago, his brother had vanished from Ministry custody. Suspicion had immediately fallen on him, Harry Potter's only public supporter. He had tried everything in his power to get his brother at least a trial before he was tossed into Azkaban, but his efforts only seemed to make matters worse. He had been labeled "the Dark Lord's Right Hand," and was nearly sent to Azkaban himself. Eventually, though, the masses bought Dumbledore's story of him being under the Imperius curse.

Regardless, the Ministry of Magic had questioned him extensively when Harry had disappeared. Eventually, they gave up, for not even Veritaserum gave them the answers they desired.

"Dark Lord, indeed," Nathan said to himself with a sneer. "Pathetic sheep, the lot of them!"

-o-

_Atrium, Ministry of Magic_

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Magic building, Albus Dumbledore was walking back through the Atrium after yet another meeting with Minister Fudge. To date, they had yet to recapture the newest Dark Lord.

He sighed sadly. How had he failed them so badly? He should have known Harry Potter was going Dark. Lily and James had been horrified that one of their children had fallen from grace, fallen so far as to control his own brother's mind to unwillingly serve as his lieutenant.

Unfortunately, there had been no luck in finding this newest threat to their utopia. There hadn't even been any sightings since the Ministry had decided to fine one galleon for each false report.

As he neared the exit floo, Dumbledore saw a large group of people enter from the other elevator. He nodded his head in greeting, then stopped in horror. They wore white masks in a skull motif. When he looked up to confirm his fear, he gasped in horror.

Any who had fought in the Blood War would immediately recognize the figure at the head of this force. The ashen skin, crimson eyes, and serpent-like visage were very distinct. Harry Potter had not lied. Lord Voldemort had risen from the dead.

With this thought, another took hold, a thought that terrified him more than the idea that the darkest wizard in recent history walked the earth again. If Harry Potter had not lied about Voldemort's return...

"Have you figured it out yet, _old man_?" Voldemort asked with a smirk, wand twirling lazily through his fingers.

"Have I figured what out, Tom?" Dumbledore asked, feigning calm. If Riddle was implying what he suspected he was – but no. He couldn't be!

"The real murderer of the Diggory spawn, of course! I must say, it was ever so helpful of you to send him away, the only witness to my return."

So it was true, Dumbledore thought morosely. He had condemned an innocent child to Azkaban, and hadn't even given the boy a farce of a trial.

"Indeed, it was_ most _helpful..." Voldemort declared triumphantly, holding aloft a small glass orb, no bigger than his fist, with coils of mist clouding its interior. A small parchment tag trailed below it, secured by a thin string. With horrified eyes, Dumbledore gazed upon the small orb in Voldemort's palm. The prophecy!

"Absolute rubbish, Dumbledore. I can't believe we were both decieved by that bumbling old fool." With that, the Dark Lord dropped the sphere to the ground. The glass orb shattered into tiny shards, barely bigger than a wood splinter apiece. The mist faded away, only a memory now, held within the minds of those who remembered its contents.

"Now, Dumbledore, prepare to die. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The Headmaster barely dodged the jet of green light in time. In response, he sent a tongue of flame at his opponent. The Death Eaters made to attack, but their Master halted them with a cry, and hurled another curse at Dumbledore.

The duel continued for several minutes. At some point, Aurors arrived into the Atrium, engaging the Death Eaters in skirmishes around the room. By the eighth minute of dueling, however, Dumbledore was visibly tiring. Only the arrival of another battalion of Aurors, accompanied by Madame Bones and Minister Fudge, averted his otherwise-inevitable defeat.

Voldemort snarled. He knew an unwinnable fight when he saw one. "Retreat!" He and his minions vanished into the wind, taking advantage of the temporarily-lowered wards that allowed the Aurors to bring reinforcements into the building.

When the last of the Death Eaters had vanished, and he had recovered his breath, Dumbledore announced, "We have made a grave error. Voldemort, during the duel, confessed to me the real identity of Cedric Diggory's murderer."

Fudge said, "See here, Dumbledore – we all know Potter killed the boy!"

"We were wrong, Cornelius," the aging Headmaster said solemnly. "We were wrong."

-o-

November 2nd, 1995

_Potter Manor_

Lily Potter nee Evans walked into the dining room, cup of tea in hand. She trudged over to the window and paid the owl, who obediently dropped the day's paper on the counter. Lily picked up the roll, and set it on the table. Tiredly, sat down, and unfurled the roll. When she saw the headline, she screamed.

"**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns! Harry Potter Not Guilty of Murder!"**

"Peace, little brother," Nathan whispered with a sad smile when he saw the news. "Now you can live your life in peace."


	3. Part I Chapter 3

Part I, Chapter III

April 12th, 2002

_Stargate Command, Colorado Springs_

Deep within a mountain, a great ring began to spin. Seven lights around its edge began to glow, and a plume of turbulent energy erupted from within. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it retreated into the Stargate. A wall of energy, rippling like water, formed inside the ring, and five figures came through the doorway to another world.

"Welcome back, SG-1," a voice declared. "Debriefing will be at 1700 hours."

"Well," Doctor Daniel Jackson, the team's linguist and anthropologist, stated, "That was... interesting."

"Indeed," spoke Teal'c.

"Yeah, how do you have that much luck, Potter?"

"High rolls at character creation?" the man in question joked. 'Of course, even that wouldn't cover half the shite I pull off," he thought to himself. "Really now, this is _SG-1_! We're supposed to do stuff like this!"

"Alright, boys, enough with the banter. We only have half an hour until debriefing, and I, for one, don't fancy getting Dr. Frasier angry by missing _another _post-mission check-up," Major Carter said with a smirk. The rest of the team gulped, though none as noticably as Lieutenant Colonel Jack O'Neill, SG-1's commanding officer.

"You heard the lady," he said, "Let's go see the scary lady with needles!"

-o-

On the way back from the infirmary, Harry Potter reminisced on his arrival at Stargate Command two years before. He had been beamed away from his cell below the Ministry the day before he was scheduled to go to Azkaban by the rogue Asgard Loki, and rescued a few days later by Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Thor's offer to be returned to his home had been denied, rather panicked. When Thor saw the memory of the event, he understood why. It seemed, he had stated, the descendants of the Ancients did not have retain their ancestors' desire for justice.

Harry had eventually been placed on the world of his ancestors' legacy, where he met SG-1. He had returned through the Stargate with them, and had eventually been granted permission to join the program on a permanent basis. He had kept two secrets from them, however. First, when he had come through the 'Gate, he had brought back the collected archive of Alteran knowledge with him; and second, he had the ability to manipulate energy, a talent many less scientifically advanced called 'Magic.'

Harry was jolted out of his reverie when he stepped foot into the briefing room. After the last of the team had filed in, General Hammond, the SGC's commanding officer, exited his office.

"SG-1," he said. "Report."

"Well, sir, the mission went smoothly. Nothing unusual happened at all."

"What Jack means to say, sir," Daniel interrupted, "is that the Goa'uld barged in on us about an hour after we got there. We were captured, as we... often are, and then Harry somehow got us out."

"We come bearing gifts," Harry joked. "Two fully-functioning Al'kesh, just waiting to be picked up for study. We hid 'em about a half-hour's walk from the 'Gate."

"This may be just what we need for Prometheus, sir," Carter said excitedly.

"I'll have two teams retrieve the ships at the next available opportunity, and let the folks at Area 51 know you bought their Christmas presents early this year," Hammond decided. "Have your reports on my desk this time tomorrow. Potter, stay behind. The rest of you may go."

"General, sir?" Harry asked. "What did you want to speak about?"

"Sit down, son. This is an unusual situation, even by SG-1 standards." Harry's eyebrows jumped into his hairline. That was an extreme statement, one not made lightly. He sat down.

"Son, three hours ago, I got a call from the President saying there was a situation I should be aware of. He said that ambassadors from a '62442' division of the British government would be coming later this week to meet with you. He said I should tell you this, and that you would know what that meant." Harry's face drained of color. They were coming here?!

"They will arrive, apparently, in two days. They've been granted one week to discuss whatever it is they want to discuss with you."

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Where will this meeting take place?"

"This room, why?"

"Just... curious."

"I'll put an extra officer on guard duty outside the door."

"Thank you, sir. Um, if it's not too much to ask... can I have a zat on me during the meetings?"

"If it's the group I think it is," Hammond said solemnly, "I'd be concerned if you didn't ask."

-o-


	4. Part I Chapter 4

Part I, Chapter IV

April 15th, 2002

_Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado Springs_

James Potter and his wife Lily stared in shock as their portkey landed outside Cheyenne Mountain. The obviously-military nature of the complex was... concerning... to them. They had known that he worked for the United States Air Force, a confusing fact in and of itself, but why would "Deep Space Radar Telemetry" warrant such a well-defended compound? And, even worse, why did it look like the security measures were more to keep people in than out? They both gripped their emergency portkeys tightly.

As they approached the mountain, they were stopped three times, at different checkpoints. Finally, they got inside, where they were escorted into an elevator past a truly immense metal door, and their trip into the depths of the facility began.

"You're the people meeting Captain Potter," their escort said. It was not a question.

"We are," James agreed.

"I've known Harry for three years now, and never once have I seen him as pale as when he walked out of the room having just been told you were coming to meet with him. What did you people do to make one of the bravest men I know look like he'd just seen a ghost?" When Lily opened her mouth to speak, he continued, "No, don't answer. I'm not sure I want to know. I'd likely be arrested for assault if I found out. But whatever it was, I don't think you can undo."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence in the elevator car. Thankfully, the elevator came to a stop at last.

When they stepped out, their escort ushered them into a second elevator, nodding at a man with a gold symbol on his forehead. "Teal'c," he said. "There been any trouble?"

"There has not, Colonel O'Neill." The man turned his gaze on Lily and James for a moment, then looked away. If he had noticed the resemblance to Harry, he did not give any indication.

"Alright, thanks for the lookout, T," O'Neill said with a grin. "Tell the kid his one o'clock is here, will you?"

"Very well, Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said. He walked into the hallway, and the elevator doors closed.

This time, the elevator stopped above the bottom of the shaft, on a level labeled "Sub-Level 27." Colonel O'Neill guided them to a room with a large red and black table dominating the space. There was a window, why the muggles would put one in they couldn't imagine, but it was covered with a metal blast shield, obscuring whatever view it might have had.

The symbol on the wall appeared to be the project's crest, and they had seen it throughout the facility as they were being led to this room, on patches and on various documents people were carrying. The symbol featured a grey 'V' capped with a semi-circle, with a triangle inside its borders. Super-imposed over this image was a gold carat with the letters "SGC" above it. What was this place? Was it some secret research facility? If so, what were they studying? If not, what could possibly be going on here, and how did Harry get involved?

"Sit down," O'Neill commanded. "Captain Potter will be down shortly." With that, he departed.

After what seemed an eternity, the doors opened again, and their son entered the room. He stood tall, his posture that of a veteran of war. If it hadn't been the muggle Air Force they were dealing with, they might have suspected polyjuice, but as it was, they could only wonder how Deep Space Radar Telemetry turned teenage boys into combat veterans.

"I don't want to deal with you two," Harry said coldly, "so get to the point. Why should I come back? I assume that's what you're here for, as you haven't tried to capture or kill me yet."

-o-


	5. Part I Chapter 5

Part I, Chapter V

**_April 19th, 2002_**

_Stargate Command, Colorado Springs_

Harry walked into the meeting room for his last meeting with the elder Potters. He sighed in relief. After today, he would be free of their attempts to force him to return.

Although he didn't voice it, he was concerned for the few people he cared about in Britain. He had found out in the first meeting that his brother had pushed for him having a trial, and that Hermione had helped considerably with researching anything Nathan might have needed to know legal-wise. Unfortunately, she had been driven underground in late August, just three months before Voldemort was caught red-handed inside the Ministry of Magic, and during the time from the Third Task to that Halloween, Nathan had been a pariah. It was only during the second meeting, though, that they brought evidence to support their claims.

His parents had only mentioned Daphne Greengrass once, and he had not reacted favorably. She knew him better than anyone, and she knew what she had done would hurt him. The pain had dulled over time, but even the mention of the girl brought all the pain right back to the fore.

Harry shook himself out of his little world when Lily and James (he refused to think of them as his parents) entered the room. Immediately, he noticed Lily's nervousness had gotten substantially worse than the day before, to the point where it was quite suspicious. His hand reached for his zat as James started speaking.

As he had in the past several meetings, Harry zoned out, hearing but not listening. If something he cared about were mentioned, he'd pay attention, but everything else he'd gloss over. Ultimately, it was a voice on the intercom that got his attention.

"SG-1 to the Gate Room! I repeat, SG-1 to the Gate Room!"

"I apologize, but I'm going to have to cut this meeting short," Harry said, not sounding apologetic in the least. "When the situation is resolved, whatever it is, I'll give you my answer." He began to leave.

Lily panicked, and James went pale. He'd already decided. As Harry walked by, James tackled him to the floor and activated his emergency portkey. Lily triggered hers only a few seconds later.

-o-

"Where's Captain Potter?" Hammond asked, irritated. He had not been pleased to have witches and wizards meddling in his base with his people, and now word from Tollana was that Anubis was ready to begin a new major offensive at any moment.

Moments after he asked his question, Sergeant Walters burst into the 'Gate Room, crying out, "Potter's gone!"

"What?" O'Neill demanded.

"The guards in the camera room – they reported moments ago that the ambassadors vanished into thin air, taking Captain Potter with them!"

Hammond groaned. 'This just keeps getting better and better,' he thought with irritation.


	6. Part II Chapter 1

November 3rd, 1995

_Diagon Alley, London_

"Mr Potter! Katherine Nott, Daily Prophet. What's your opinion on You-Know-Who's return?"

"Mr. Potter! Adam Brown, Wizarding Wireless Network. Now that the truth is known, what are your thoughts?"

"Mr Potter! – "

"QUIET!" Nathan shouted angrily from the steps of Gringotts Bank. "You want to know what has been running through my head since Voldemort announced his return?" He asked harshly. "I've been thinking that if my brother had had the common courtesy of a trial, this could all have been avoided. An innocent child would not have been condemned to Azkaban Prison, Voldemort would not have been able to build up his forces, and perhaps maybe even been eliminated in a matter of weeks after his return.

"But no. You had to have your scapegoat! YOU, not the Minister of Magic, not Albus Too-Many-Titles Dumbledore, YOU. You called for my brother's imprisonment, trial or no, guilty or innocent. You may have doomed us all..."

He savored the stunned silence for a moment as he walked to the apparation point, and then stopped short. 'I... I don't usually enjoy yelling at people... so why-?' He shook his head to empty his thoughts. He could deal with... whatever that was... later.

-o-

Albus Dumbledore held his head in his hands. After his duel with Voldemort a few days prior, he had delved into his pensieve, and reviewed the prophecy to see why Voldemort claimed it to be 'absolute rubbish.' What he had seen shook him to the core. He had been wrong. Nathan was not the prophesied savior destined to defeat Riddle. It was his twin brother, the twin brother that had been betrayed by all but a few people he knew.

How could he have missed the signs? In hindsight, they seemed so obvious! An attempted theft of the Philosopher's Stone, able to, with effort, create a new body for a malevolent spirit; petrification throughout the school, just as in 1942 and 1943; the Dementors of Azkaban abandoning their posts, as they did in the first war; gatherings of Dark creatures throughout all of Europe, where Riddle became Voldemort...

It seems he had fallen victim to the First Rule, like so many others before him. He needed to gather the Order, immediately. They needed a plan of action, and they needed to find their prophesied savior and bring him home.

-o-

November 11th, 1995

_12 Grimmauld Place, London_

"I hereby call this meeting to order," Albus declared. "For the first time in fourteen years, Death Eaters have attacked innocent people. We must ensure these killers face justice. Those of you who fought in the previous conflict, I ask you to resume your duties from then. To those of you who are joining us now, divide yourselves into groups. If you would prefer to capture Voldemort's followers to bring them into custody, stand with Alastor Moody. Those of you who would prefer to support the Order from the sidelines, stand with Molly Weasley. They will give you further instructions after the meeting."

When everyone had divided into their groups, Dumbledore spoke again. "I have word from a reliable source that Voldemort plans to attack Diagon Alley tomorrow evening. Moody, divide our forces to secure the alley. Aim to capture, not kill. Each one in our custody is more information we can glean on Voldemort's movements.

"Non-combatants, begin preparations to house the prisoners and treat any wounded that may require it. Poppy, you are on the vault list; if you require any potions, stock up now."

"Will Voldemort be there?" one of the new recruits asked nervously.

"Unlikely," Moody answered gruffly. "He prefers to stick to the shadows, striking from the cover of darkness. He will likely remain where he's at."

"That's a shame," Frank Longbottom stated. "If he were there, we could take him out."

"No," Dumbledore said solemnly. "None of us can defeat Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Not even you?" James Potter asked, shocked.

"Not even me," Dumbledore confirmed. "Only one person can, and they are no longer in this country."

"Well, call that person back!" someone cried out from near the door. Dumbledore sighed sadly.

"We can't."

"Why not?!"

"He was forced away when he was condemned to Azkaban without trial, and he disappeared in late July."

-o-

November 15th, 1995

_Griffindor Tower, Hogwarts_

Nathan heard a knocking on his dormitory's door. "Nathan, my boy? I need to talk to you."

"I am NOT 'your boy,' Dumbledore!" he snarled back.

"Mr Potter, then," the Hogwarts Headmaster said with a sigh. "There is something I need to discuss with you."

"Unless it has to do with overturning the unlawful conviction of my brother or the fight against Voldemort, I don't want to hear it."

"It is the means by which, I suspect, Voldemort has attained immortality."

Nathan opened the door. "Talk."

Dumbledore sat down on the desk chair and began to speak. "Many years ago, a boy named Tom Riddle began to research a very dark, forbidden magic. While he could not find what he sought in Hogwarts' walls, he was not deterred, and eventually, he found what he sought. Later that year, he split his soul, and placed it into a device called a Horcrux.

"In your second year, you presented to me a damaged diary, claiming it had summoned Voldemort's shade. At the time, I thought it to be a prank in bad taste. Now, however, I am not so certain. It appears as though Tom may have created multiple Horcruxes, as the destruction of the diary did not destroy the shade."

"Hold up a moment. You're saying he did this multiple times?!" Nathan was appalled. After Pettigrew's escape from Azkaban convinced Fudge it was a good idea to station Dementors around Hogwarts, he and Harry had researched the soul extensively. They didn't find much, but what they found described in detail the consequences of damaging a soul. For Voldemort to have done so once, deliberately, was horrific. To have done so multiple times...

"If my suspicions are correct, he split his soul into seven pieces – six Horcruxes and himself." Nathan retched. "Until all seven pieces are destroyed, Voldemort cannot be slain, even with the Prophecy declaring Harry-"

"You lost the right to call him that when you sentenced him to Azkaban," Nathan spat.

"-Even with the prophecy declaring your brother has the power to end him, the Horcruxes have to be destroyed first."

"Right, and... I'm supposed to do what with this information, exactly? And what do you mean, Harry is prophesied to destroy Voldemort?"

"There was a prophecy given before you were born. I had thought it complete when you vanquished Voldemort as a baby, but I had missed the second half when I caught Se- a spy- listening in. The part I did not hear the first time I listened to it states, quite clearly, that your brother is the one to save us all.

On the matter of what you should do about the horcruxes, I believe I have tracked one down. It would give me great peace of mind for you to accompany me."

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I would much prefer to have someone who has dealt with one of Tom's horcruxes by my side on this mission," Dumbledore said simply.

"Very well," Nathan sighed, "If you will overturn Harry's conviction and end the manhunt as soon as we return."

"We are agreed, then," Dumbledore said pleasantly, standing up. "I will meet with you in the Great Hall this Saturday after supper, if that time is agreeable."

"It is," Nathan said, closing the door behind the aging Headmaster.

-o-

November 21st, 1995

_Leaky Cauldron, London_

"Vote of No Confidence in Minister of Magic and Supreme Mugwump!

"A culmination of the events that started eighteen days ago, when Nathan Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, decried our society for the treatment of his brother, a vote of no confidence in Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge stripped the men of their titles in our government..."

Sirius Black smirked as he read the article. It was about time those two bastards got knocked down a peg or five!

"... leading Amelia Bones to be declared Interim Minister until the next election."

Black did a spit-take. Amelia Bones. Quiet, shy little Amelia Bones declared interim Minister of Magic. He must have been really out of the loop for the past decade or so for her to qualify for that position. Though, with where he had been assigned, that wasn't overly surprising.

After Voldemort's first fall, he had been tasked to root out any of his supporters still left in eastern Europe. By the time he'd been called back, his godson had been sent to prison by the supposed "Leader of the Light" Albus Dumbledore. Said man having no political influence of any kind from here on out would elicit no complaints from him.

-o-

When James and Lily, indeed, most of the Order of the Phoenix, saw the headlines that day, they paled. Dumbledore was no longer on the Wizengamot to keep the Dark Houses in line? Britain would fall within a week.

-o-

_Great Hall, Hogwarts_

In the Hogwarts Great Hall, Nathan smirked to himself, fingering the Gaunt family's ring which now rested in his pocket. The old fool had it coming. His refusal to call off the hunt for his brother had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Only two days ago, Nathan had sent a few letters to various news sources, shedding doubt on Dumbledore's and Fudge's leadership abilities. Now that Dumbledore and Fudge were out of the way, people with competence could come into power. His plan was beginning to unfold. If only Harry could witness it... 'No, he insisted to himself,' he's better off wherever he is than dealing with this nuthouse.'

He looked up and made eye contact with Ron, Fred, and George Weasley, Hermione Granger, who had only recently come out of hiding, and Daphne Greengrass. He received a sharp nod from each in return. They would be meeting tonight.

-o-

_Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton_

Lucius Malfoy knelt, trembling, before his lord. He had just reported the Minister's ousting, and the Dark Lord was angry. While Dumbledore losing all of his political power was not a bad thing, and indeed had been part of the plan when he had claimed credit for the Diggory boy's death, Cornelius Fudge was notorious among the Inner Circle for taking bribes. It would almost be worth it to keep Dumbledore in power if it meant he could maintain control of the Ministry of Magic. Alas, however, what is done is done, and now Lucius would pay for his failure.

"Crucio!"


	7. Part II Chapter 2

December 17th, 1995

_Library, Hogwarts School_

Hermione let out a small sigh, setting the enormous tome aside. Nathan was acting... weird, and now she couldn't focus on her mission. He usually wasn't quick to anger, and he rarely acted without thinking. Nor, for that matter, did he often brood. He had always, from what Harry and Daphne had told her repeatedly, been more Slytherin than Gryffindor. After Riddle announced his return, though, Nathan had changed, and not for the better. Now, he was prone to all of the bad habits of a stereotypical Gryffindor, and few of the good traits of the House.

When the group had last met, he had claimed it was the stress of everything that was going on, but Hermione wasn't so sure, and she thought Daphne shared her suspicions. They had been at the Potter twins' side from the beginning, and they knew how each acted when under stress. Nathan did not become angry and impulsive while under pressure. So why was he acting that way now?

Reluctantly, she decided to focus on her task. She would talk to Daphne later, she resolved, and share her suspicions with the Slytherin girl. She did have to complete that report...

-o-

_Potter Manor_

"Purge of Death Eaters in Ministry of Magic Underway!"

Lily Potter stared slack-jawed at what she saw. Less than a month after Minister Bones was sworn into office, and she was already making more progress towards stopping You-Know-Who's attacks than the Order of the Phoenix had made during its entire history. Keeping He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's tendrils out of the Ministry of Magic would be a major victory, and something Dumbledore would never allow to be attempted. Perhaps, she mused, him being removed from power wasn't all bad, if it gave the Ministry of Magic the freedom to actually act in response to the threat of You-Know-

_Library, Hogwarts School_

"I need to talk to you," Hermione said. "Alone. Now."

"Can it wait?" Daphne asked.

"No."

The other girl sighed, and started to put the sheets of parchment into folders. "Alright. Give me a moment."

As soon as the table was clear, Hermione said, "Walk with me."

Once they were out of earshot, Hermione began speaking. "I'm sure you've noticed that Nathan is acting weird."

"He's been under a lot of pressure lately, what with... everything that's going on," Daphne said. It didn't sound very convincing, even to her own ears.

"Nathan doesn't usually act like that when he's stressed," Hermione insisted. "He pulls away from people, yes, but he doesn't brood! And he's never gotten angry and irrational! He's getting worse every day, though!"

Daphne sighed. She had noticed Harry's brother was acting odd, but she had half hoped it was just a phase, despite evidence to the contrary.

"Alright. What do we do?"

"For now, let's try to find what might be causing his unusual behavior. It might actually be the stress that's getting to him..." Hermione looked downcast. "I doubt it will be that easy, though."

-o-

January 4th, 1996

_12 Grimmauld Place, London_

Nathan gaped at the pile before him. From the notes Dumbles had given him before the former Headmaster's forced exile, Voldemort had been collecting Founders' artifacts to turn into horcruxes. Now, right before his eyes, Slytherin's locket lay before him, half buried beneath the junk removed from the Black family's house-elf's den. Was fortune smiling on him at last?

A loud pop sounded from behind him as he reached to grab the locket, and a dangerous voice rasped, "Filthy half-blood will not be taking Master Regulus' locket!"

45 minutes later...

"Little Master will help Kreature fulfill Master Regulus' final order?" the Black Family house-elf asked hopefully. Nathan had been talking to the elf for hours now. After the tense first moments of their meeting, the elf had begun explaining how "Master Regulus" had given his life to make the Dark Lord mortal, but that nothing he had done could destroy it. Since then, Kreature had kept it secret and safe in his posession, waiting for an opportunity to fulfill Regulus Black's final order.

"Yes," Nathan said. "I will help you make Voldemort mortal once more. But we can't do it right now."

"Why not, filthy half-blood scum?" Kreature asked, hateful once more.

-o-

_Godric's Hollow_

Several people in black, hooded robes and bone-white masks appeared on the edge of the village of Godric's Hollow. Their mission was simple: eradicate the location where their master had been defeated fourteen years before.

The first curse was thrown by a rookie Death Eater on his first mission. The screams that ensued was music to the group's ears. In a matter of seconds, the rest began their assault.

A few minutes in, however, the leader noticed something - the screams... they had stopped. She looked around in confusion. In the seconds she scanned the village square, a curse took off her head.

-o-

Alastor Moody arrived at Godric's Hollow five minutes after the Aurors' office got the call. A grim smile found its way onto his face. Someone had fought back. When he had departed Grimmauld Place, he had expected to see unconscious and bound Death Eaters. Instead, the village was a blood bath. None of the attackers were left alive.

"You," he barked at a shaking survivor. "What happened here?"

"They- the -" the kid took a shaky breath. "The white mask people came and started to kill people. Then more people came and killed them. He-" the boy took another deep breath. "One of the new people said they were from Chimera. What's Chimera? Are you from there, too?"

"I've never heard of Chimera," Moody said gruffly, concerned. It sounded like there was a new player on the field. But what side were they on?

-o-

January 6th, 1996

_12 Grimmauld Place, London_

In the kitchen at #12 Grimmauld Place, members of the Order of the Phoenix were gathered. Not all were present, but not all had been gathered. Only those tasked with investigating the newly-emerged group, and the Order's new leader, Alastor Moody, were present.

"What have you learned about this 'Chimera?'" Alastor asked.

Kingsley Shacklebolt answered. "So far, we've uncovered evidence that they do not train any agents of their own. They work entirely through proxies and mercenaries. They pay well, too. The hired wands who took out those Death Eaters two days ago are rumored to have been paid two hundred galleons per kill."

"What about prisoners? How many galleons for them?" Moody asked. What he had seen at Godric's Hollow indicated the mercenaries, at least, chose not to take any. Why?

"My contacts say there was no bounty posted for any prisoners, only deaths," Mundungus Fletcher reported.

"At least we know how they operate now..." Moody was silent for a moment. "Keep on the lookout, but prioritize tracking known Death Eaters first. If you hear something, inform me in your next report. You are dismissed."


	8. Part II Chapter 3

April 24th, 1996

_Library, Hogwarts School_

Daphne Greengrass sighed sadly. Almost a year ago, her Harry had vanished. While he had good reason to disappear, it was safe to return now, and she wanted to apologize for... well, she wanted to apologize. The problem was, she couldn't find him! Wherever he had gone, he hid his tracks well. It was almost as if he had dropped off the face of the planet. She knew he was still alive, the contract would have been rendered null and void if he were dead. But there were no signs of him anywhere. Even hiring private investigators turned up no results.

Of course, these private investigators proved useful in other venues as well, as did her new-found contacts in the criminal underground. How else would she have been able to keep tabs on the Death Eaters? Since she had started going outside public records for information, her reports had become much more detailed.

As she leafed through another document, hoping for even a mention of her betrothed, Hermione Granger stepped into the room. For a few moments, Daphne tried to ignore the girl. Eventually, though, she gave in.

"What is it, Granger?" she asked, her voice empty of emotion.

"Have you seen the news?" the other girl asked solemnly.

"Not today, why?"

"Take a look." She produced a newspaper from her bag. Daphne idly noted that it was a special edition paper, only printed a few hours before. She looked at the headline.

**Death Eater Raid in Paris! You-Know-Who Now an International Threat!**

She paled. This was not good, not good at all. Only a few days ago, Minister of Magic Amelia Bones' campaign to crush Death Eater influence in the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot had concluded, and measures to keep them from getting back in were put into place. Now, in apparent retaliation, the Dark Lord ordered his forces to shift their focus to international targets. On the plus side, now they had more time to hunt down those damned horcruxes...

-o-

April 28th, 1996

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"I hereby call this meeting to order," Alastor Moody declared. "What do you have for us?"

It was Mundungus Fletcher who spoke up first. "I've found more mentions 'f Chimera, I have," he proclaimed.

"Continue," Moody declared after a moment.

"I was on the lookout in a bar in south England, I was, and I 'eard some peoples talkin' 'bout how Chimera was lookin' fer somethin'. I did some digging, I did, and I found that this organization is actually a small group pullin' strings, they are. They look fer information on various things, then, if they find somethin', they get people to act on it."

"What kinds of things do they look for?" Kingsley asked.

"All kinds of fings," Fletcher proclaimed. "Politicians, prison records, historical artifacts, trial transcripts, 'Arry Potter, transaction logs, all kinds of fings."

"Harry Potter? Chimera is looking for my son?" James asked, concerned.

"Seems like," Fletcher declared.

"Why- what do they want with him?" he asked.

"Mayhaps same fing we want 'im for – to kill Voldemort fer us."

-o-

May 4th, 1996

_Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts School_

It was chilly in the cavernous hall in which they had decided to meet. The six individuals gathered around a table near the middle of the room, and sat down. With a sigh, the apparent leader of their group declared, "Let this meeting commence. Is there any business not already scheduled for discussion that cannot wait until our next meeting?"

"Yes. One of my contacts reports that one Mundungus Fletcher has been sticking his nose where it does not belong on behalf of the 'Order of the Phoenix.'"

"How much has he found?" One of the six asked, sounding amused.

"Enough to give the Order an accurate idea of how we operate."

There was an uncomfortable silence following that proclamation. If the Order of the Phoenix had found that much, what was to stop them from learning more, like their search agenda, for example, or what characteristics the items they hunted for possessed?

"I think it's time we gave them something else to focus on. Any volunteers to play messenger?"

-o-

Kingsley Shacklebolt shivered in the cold night air. Just a few hours ago, Nathan Potter announced that Voldemort was planning an attack on the magical world's shopping district in Lyons. While he hesitated to take the word of a child, Moody had declared that the risk was too great to ignore the warning, no matter how questionable. Personally, Kingsley thought the man's paranoia was to blame, but here he was anyways.

It was with shock that the Auror witnessed the arrival of several dozen figures in Death Eater robes. Getting over his shock at the Potter boy's information being spot-on, down to the very minute of the start of the attack, he gave the order to start firing.

The battle for England had, for now, been won. The battle for Europe was now underway.


	9. Part II Chapter 4

Sorry for the late post. I got back late yesterday from my trip when we were supposed to return early on Monday.

* * *

May 5th, 1996

It was with great pleasure that Kingsley Shacklebolt reported the victory at Lyons to the Order at large. It had been a hard fight, but they were successful. They had been lost some of their comrades to the Death Eaters, but the enemy had suffered even more casualties. Seven Death Eaters had been taken prisoner, and thirteen had been taken out of the fight permanently.

-o-

June 17th, 1996

Alastor Moody,

I hereby request you teach a seminar to the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic, so as to improve their ability to combat the threat posed by the terrorist organization known as 'Death Eaters.' The sessions, should you consent to teach them, will be hosted every Wednesday in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's training room from three o'clock to five o'clock in the afternoon.

Sincerely,

Harrison Emilson

Head of the DMLE

The letter had sat on Moody's desk for several days now. Finally, he had reached a decision. He sent off an owl to the Department. He would be there.

-o-

August 24th, 1996

Nathan grumbled angrily. "Of course Emilson is dead. Just when we get everything set up to get the Aurors the training they need to actually be effective, the only supporter of that action in the office is killed!"

After a moment more quiet fuming, Nathan adjusted his expression to hide his anger. "Alright. Daphne, who is on the books to replace the guy?"

It took a moment to find the right documents. "Well, it seems there are only two candidates, neither of whom are very proactive –"  
"Of course not," Nathan proclaimed.

"-but at least Scrimgeour doesn't appear to be a closed Death Eater sympathizer, working to undo everything Minister Bones has done."

"Thicknesse?"

"Right in one."

"Damn."

"How do we respond to this?" Hermione asked with a sigh.

"Ron shuffled his papers thoughtfully. "If Scrimgeour is elected, we can perhaps salvage some of this. Scrimgeour has a history of being very stingy with his money, true, but what if it's not him paying for the training?"

"That... might work. Daphne, do we have the funds for that?"

"...Yes. We'd have to put some projects on hold, like that rune trap, but we could manage until the seminars are over."

"Do it. We can't keep relying on mercenaries to protect people, not if Voldemort is branching out of Britain with his targets."

Greengrass made a note on a piece of parchment. "Done. By the way, my network is reporting that Voldemort is stepping up his recruitment efforts, forgoing secrecy in the process." She smirked. "If that's the case, we can eliminate them at a time of our choosing."

"Get Ron a list. We don't want it to look too methodical, now do we?"

-o-

Moody cursed. What was that fool thinking? If he couldn't work with the Aurors on schedule, how could he teach them? Sure, some of what he taught was probably overkill, but when dealing with enemies who would almost always aim to kill, it was far better to be safe than sorry. Despite this, the idiot was cutting the allocated training time in half! At least he hadn't cancelled the program entirely.

"I swear, Scrimgeour will be the death of me," Moody thought to himself.

* * *

Congratulations to Philosophize and "Kittens" (Guest reviewer) for the correct answer. Virtual cookies for you.


	10. Part II Chapter 5

September 4th, 1996

_Rochefort-en-Terre, France_

It was a dismal day for Rochefort-en-Terre. The skies were a dark gray, and the rail was pelting down. It was, however, peaceful. At twelve o'clock, however, that changed.

The only sign of the impending attack was a dark cloud in the shape of a skull forming over the heart of the village. Without any other warning, masked terrorists wielding powerful weaponry started slaughtering the innocent people of the town. It was fortunate that there were those willing to fight back, and only fifty people were killed or wounded before the terrorists fled.

"TERRORISTS ATTACK ROCHEFORT-EN-TERRE!" would be the headline for the next week, in both worlds.

-o-

September 5th, 1996

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"Report," Moody barked.

"The Dark Lord is... displeased," Severus Snape said. "Rochefort-en-Terre was to be a display of his power. That the Order was able to hold his forces back has brought his ire upon this organization as a whole."

"Well, what are we supposed to do, roll over, die, and let him take over?" Shacklebolt asked sarcastically.

"That is exactly what he wants you to do, yes."

The room fell silent for a moment, then Snape said, "He has been expanding recruitment across the entire continent. Several smaller countries have already fallen. Soon, he will have ten thousand fighters at his side. The Order will only be able to stop his advance for so long."

The room fell into pandemonium at that proclamation.

-o-

September 27th, 1996

_Atrium, Ministry of Magic_

Alastor Moody sighed in relief. The final training session had finally finished. Sure, he felt like it wasn't finished, and there were some things he hadn't had time to impart, but on the whole, it had been a very productive two months.

He nodded to a group passing through the atrium. As he neared the elevator, he turned his head in alarm, and a wave of green filled his vision. A gust of wind was the last thing he ever felt, and his world went dark for the last time.

-o-

_Hogwarts School_

Daphne Greengrass felt the fake galleon burn against her skin, and she immediately changed course. Sure, she had class in five minutes, but any excuse to get away from Snape, even if it wasn't a valid one, she would take. Even the students in his own house hated him, so her, a Ravenclaw, skipping his class would not turn heads.

She arrived at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and slipped into the stairwell, always open now, only protected by an illusion. Everyone in Chimera knew how to get in, though other students would not likely find it.

She at last arrived in the meeting chamber. She noted with surprise that she was the last one there as she took her seat.

"Moody's dead," Nathan proclaimed solemnly.

-o-


	11. Part II Chapter 6

September 30th, 1996

_Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts School_

Fred and George Weasley presented their newest contraption to Nathan and Hermione proudly. After several months of work, they had completed a device that could aid substantially in whittling down Voldemort's forces, dozens at a time.

"If you power this rune here," one twin proclaimed, pointing at the spherical casing, "it starts a runic timer, see, and when it counts down to zero-"

"- the runes open the bag, and that detonates the thing."

"The real beauty is when it explodes near wards."  
"It amplifies the explosion. We got the idea from our brother Bill, he's-"

"-a cursebreaker, see, and he uses these little 'thimble-sacks' to bring down wards, and they work on a very similar principle. But you have to be careful with them, see, because if too many go off at a time-"  
"-it causes ward cascade failure, turning the entire warded area into a smoking crater," they proclaimed as one.

Nathan nodded. "How many can you make?"  
"Right now? Ten, maybe fifteen if we get a good deal on parts."

"Alright. Make that your number one priority."

Five heads looked at each other in confusion. Weren't there other things to be done, far more important than a way to blow up Death Eaters? Sure, safe-houses could be destroyed easily, but was it really worth ordering the Weasley twins to make producing chaos bombs their main task?

'We can't wait any longer,' Daphne thought. 'If we let him keep this up, he'll lead us to ruin.'

-o-

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"... I so swear, so mote it be," Kingsley Shacklebolt proclaimed solemnly. As he finished speaking, a swirl of golden light surrounded him, and then faded away.

"I hereby call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order," he said at last. "First on our agenda, Fletcher, do you have anything new to report about Chimera?"

"Nofink, sir. None of my contacts report a murmur we haven't already 'eard. Well, actually, they 'ave started placing bounties on dozens'f people on the continent. Each one so far's been a Death Eater."

"How could they possibly know?" Lily whispered to her husband.

"I have no idea," he responded quietly.

Shacklebolt handled his first meeting as head of the Order fairly well, all things considered. It was not all that different from being an Auror captain, he decided, except for the scale.

An hour after the meeting began, Kingsley brought it to a close. After everyone else had left the manor hall, he retired to the office Moody had appropriated for use by the head of the Order. A file on the desk caught his attention. 'Nathaniel Charles Potter,' it was titled.

-o-

October 5th, 1996

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"Mr. Potter?" Shacklebolt said. "May I have a word with you?"

"About what?" Nathan asked.

"Before he died, Moody created a series of files about various people. Yours was at the top of the stack."

"What was the purpose of these files?" He asked suspiciously.

"They were an assessment of eligibility for recruitment into the Order of the Phoenix."

Nathan stared at him in a condescending manner, as though saying, 'tell me the truth.'

"You think I'm joking, Mr Potter? Have a look for yourself." He handed over a fairly thick folder with his name written quite clearly on the front. "It contains every official document pertaining to you, from your hospital records and your test scores to every article ever published that mentions you. It also contains notes written by Alastor himself about you. He wrote that while you have become more restless than you were before Voldemort's rebirth, he seemed to think your ability to see through Voldemort's eyes would be a valuable asset to the Order."

Nathan could only stare at the documents in front of him in shock. They were exactly what Shacklebolt had told him they were. Was he really trying to recruit him? He voiced this thought aloud.

"Not just yet, Mr Potter. Some of our members have expressed concerns in the past about accepting underage members. However, if you would consent to relay information to me whenever you have a vision, I will give you a fee of fifty gallons per report if the information is accurate."

That was a very nice deal, Nathan had to admit. Maybe he could get a little more from this, though.

"If you will allow me to join fully as soon as I am of age, you have a deal."

"Very well, Mr. Potter." They shook hands, and the deal was finalized.


	12. Part II Chapter 7

October 7th, 1996

_Third Floor, Hogwarts School_

Hermione and Daphne cornered Nathan in a hallway after their afternoon class was finished.

"What's up with you?" Hermione demanded. "You haven't been acting yourself for almost a year now, and it can't be because of stress."

"If it was stress, you would be more calculating than usual, not allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment. You would be emotionally withdrawn, not more prone to angry outbursts," Daphne spoke.

"I'm fine."  
"No, you're not!" Hermione shouted. "For the past month, you've been becoming more and more of a recluse, while screaming at anyone who has the misfortune to draw your ire to the slightest extent! You may be physically okay, but mentally? No, you're not!"

Inside Nathan's mind, a battle was raging. One side wanted nothing more than to never see Hermione Granger ever again, but not before cursing her and the Greengrass girl until they were psychologically destroyed. The other, gaining strength as Nathan realized the thought that had just passed through his brain, was convinced that they were right.

"I... you're right, I'm not fine. I haven't been since Voldemort announced his return. I... I can't help it. I try to fight, and there are times I can think rationally, and I need you to listen, because I can't keep hold much longer.

"Daphne, here is the key to Chimera's Gringotts vault. Here, I'll write up a note." He scribbled on a piece of parchment. "Get this to the goblins as soon as possible, today if you can. You are now the sole person who can access Chimera's funds.

"Hermione, rescind my order regarding the chaos bombs. The twins are to only make them one at a time, and only when they have no other projects. This order is not to be overruled, by anyone. Not even me. I-" A shadow came over Nathan's eyes, and a grimace crossed his face. "I am getting better. I need a little more time. If I am acting strange, it is because I am working on a project that could end the war once and for all."

"A-alright," Hermione stuttered. "We'll... leave you to it, then."

-o-

"Did you see that?" Daphne demanded.

"The shadow? Yes, I did. What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

"His eyes were clear when he was telling us to give the note to the goblins, and change Fred and George's production priorities," Hermione offered.

Daphne sighed. "It's for the best that we do that, then. He sounded... urgent... when he was telling us that."

-o-

_Riddle Manor, Little Hangl_eton

Voldemort was peeved, to say the least. Something had gone wrong. His control on his puppet had slipped, and now his plan was put in jeopardy. Perhaps it was time for a change of pace... After all, it wasn't like the damage could be undone, thanks to the idiot child.

-o-

_**ICW News Report, October 10th, 1996**_

**Madrid Falls to Death Eaters! Spain Capitulates!**

In a surprise move by the international terrorist calling himself 'Lord Voldemort,' Madrid was attacked en masse by terrorist soldiers, called 'Death Eaters.' With the takeover of the magical government of Spain, other countries are surely not far behind...

-o-

_**ICW News Report, October 27th, 1996**_

**Portugal Now Under Voldemort's Control!**

Following the Blitzkrieg campaign to capture Spain, Voldemort seems to have set his sights on Portugal. Now, two weeks later, another country has fallen under his control. It is not known at this time what this terrorist aims to achieve, but it is clear that an international resistance effort is needed to oppose this new threat.

\- - - o - - -


	13. Part II Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

October 30th,1996

_ICW Headquarters, Crete_

"I hereby call this meeting of the International Confederation of Wizards to order. Scribe, what is the first item on our agenda for today?"

"Um, today we were going to talk about, um... ah... oh, right! You-Know-Who!" A sharp look from the head of the ICW prompted him to correct himself. "I- I mean, V-Voldemort. Yes. Voldemort."

After hours of discussion and political maneuvering, a course of action was finally decided upon. For the first time in fifty years, the ICW's Grand Army would be mobilized to defend Europe.

-o-

November 11th, 1996

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"Voldemort is planning an attack on Switzerland," Nathan said. Kingsley sighed.

"So soon?"

"He has three more targets lined up, but I don't know where," Nathan responded, almost mechanically. Shacklebolt was immediately on guard, though he tried not to show it. Who knew what might happen if he indicated he now knew?

"I'll put out an order to be on guard," he declared. Nathan nodded his head once, and left the room.

'That wasn't an imperius curse, he thought.

-o-

_Unknown Planet, 35 light-years from Earth_

Elsewhere, in a place not of this world, seven lights glowed in the darkness. A burst of almost-water erupted from a pseudo-stone ring, and then retreated to form a vertical wall of glowing blue energy, rippling in the still air. A moment passed, and then, one by one, four figures stepped through.

"Let's get this show on the road, boys," the lead figure proclaimed. "You know the drill."

"Yes, sir." With a press of a button on a meter-high pedestal before the ring, the device deactivated. A brief moment later, four lights pierced the oppressive darkness brought upon them by the tall trees. The four men, identified by their arm patches as 'SG-10,' moved forward.

-o-

_Library, Hogwarts School_

Hermione Granger moaned pitifully as she rested her head on the stack of books before her. She had searched for over a month on various forms of mind control, even tentatively looking into possession, to no avail. Nothing she had yet researched had any of the symptoms she had observed with Nathan. The closest thing was an ancient myth from Ancient Egypt, where a god would take over a mortal body, overriding the host's mind, but it was also said that 'nothing of the host survives' the process, and clearly, Nathan was still around, because he had briefly snapped out of... whatever it was. There was a mention of the eyes changing, though... Maybe she should check with Bill, just in case.

-o-

November 12th, 1996

_Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts School_

Fred and George stood proudly before the other members of Chimera, preening at their success. They had finally finished that rune trap!

"It works, see, on similar principles to a shield charm, only-"

"-shaped like a cylinder. Keeping the victim from apparating out-"

"-was the tricky bit, so we used a localized anti-apparation ward over the volume of the tube. The only problems now are setting it up-"

"-and how long it lasts. It only takes a minute for the first spell to fail, and when it does-"

"-it brings down all the others. It also takes several minutes to set up.

The twins finished in unison. "It seems like the first problem can be fixed by using a better ward anchor, we'll ask Bill when we see him next, but the second..."

"When you do go see Bill, could I go with you? I have a few questions about a research project I'm doing, and I would like his opinion."

"Sure," Fred answered. "The more the merrier, I guess."

"What else were you working on?" Daphne asked.

"Other than the chaos bombs, nothing for now. Why?"

"Oh, I just thought perhaps we could make protective gear to sell to the public. It wouldn't protect against the unforgivables, but most Death Eaters don't use them in a duel, anyways," Daphne said.

Four murmurs of agreement followed this proclamation, and with only Nathan dissenting, it quickly became the twins' next official project.

But they were running our of ways to stall, and soon, they would have to start producing the bombs.

-o-

**ICW News Report, November 13th**

**Countries Under Siege!**

In a surprise move, the attack on Switzerland proved to be a diversion. Slovenia and Austria have fallen under heavy attack by terrorist forces, lead by the so-called 'Lord Voldemort.' Recent news from the defensive line suggest that it is not long until both countries fall.

-o-

_Stargate Command, Colorado Springs_

"So, SG-10 is late in reporting back, there was a dial-in attempt six hours into their mission but nothing came through, and so you want us to check on them? Should be simple enough," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neil said with a shrug.

"Report back every hour on the hour," General Hammond said. "You depart in 30 minutes. Dismissed."

"Looks like we're doing a rescue mission. What do you know about the planet we're headed to, Teal'c?" O'Neil asked.

"It is a world that has become notorious among the System Lords in the past few years. It was a temple constructed by a forgotten race, and was controlled by the Supreme System Lord Ra for many millennia. Since Ra's death, however, all attempts to take control of the planet by stargate have failed, and the world is now protected from orbital attack by weapons of unfamiliar design."

"So whoever lives there now isn't a big fan of the Goa'uld, I take it?" Doctor Jackson asked.

"Indeed not, Daniel Jackson. There are tales told by the few survivors of a green-eyed demon, who turned their Ma'Tok staves against them and conjured ghostly flames with a wave of its hand, destroying all who remain. The only false god to survive an assault also claims that the two slaves he brought were left untouched by the fire's advance."

"Maybe we can convince this person to help us fight the Goa'uld, or at the very least study their technology, sir," Captain Samantha Carter said.

"SG-1 to the Gate room, I repeat, SG-1 to the Gate room."

"Looks like we're about to meet this 'demon' then," O'Neil said. "Might wanna cover that symbol, Teal'c, he may get the wrong idea."

"Chevron seven, locked."

The stargate activated, and SG-1 stepped through.

-o-


	14. Part II Chapter 9

Chapter IX

_Unknown Planet, 35 light-years from Earth_

The first thing the extra-worldly tourists from Earth saw was the darkness cast by the tall trees. The beams of light from their hand-held electric torches quickly found the trail, and the four travelers advanced with caution. The last dark forest on a mission had not ended well at all. Jonathan O'Neill still had nightmares of the place, what it had done to him and his team.

As they emerged from the treeline, they saw with surprise that SG-10 seemed fine. When the flagship team of Earth's Stargate program hailed them down, an expression of sorrow crossed the other team's faces as they hurried to meet. A quick exchange confirmed to SG-1 that the others were who they appeared to be, and the reason for the former team's mission took the foreground in their minds.

"What's with the radio silence?" O'Neill asked, not outright accusingly, but not quite his normal tone either.

"They don't work, sir. None of them, not even the MALP. Even... even the GDO is not functioning."  
"What do you mean, they don't work? Mark checked them himself before you left, like he always does," Carter said, confused and alarmed.

"At first we thought it was something wrong with our radios. Then we tried our flashlights. Then we tried the MALP. They're fried. Something about this place is destroying electronic devices, Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter. Only the ones hardened against EMP are safe, and even they seem a bit glitchy after a while.

"So... there's some kind of interference in the atmosphere that is damaging electronic devices," O'Neill repeated.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, fuck. That's bad."

-o-

_Gringotts Main, Diagon Alley_

In Europe, Gringotts to be precise, Bill Weasley was examining an ancient tablet under a strange contraption, one with numerous concave and convex lenses of various materials attached to it. Every so often, Bill would make notations on a piece of parchment, and then resume. His visitor waited for him to finish his work, tapping her foot impatiently. Finally, he set the tablet down, and stood.

"Sorry about that, Hermione, but that artifact needed my full concentration. One slip and the decoding would have been... messy, and in a very bad way. What's up, Fred told me you had a school project and you wanted my help?"

"Research project yes, school project no. This is much more important. Listen, Bill, have you ever heard of a form of mind control where the eyes change?"  
"Change?" Bill asked, suddenly very alert. "Hermione, tell me exactly. What kind of change?"  
"It was... freaky. One minute, they were the normal green, and then... then a shadow seemed to mix into them, struggling to take control. I... I need your help, Bill."

Bill let out an alarmed squeak. "Shadows? Fighting in the eyes? This is bad. This is really, really bad! I- I'm going to be right back. I'm talking to my boss. She might know what to do."

-o-

_Unknown Planet, 35 light-years from Earth_

It had been two hours, and Sgs 1 and 10 were still no closer to finding out how to fix their situation. Immediately upon realizing their situation, they had dialed back in and thrown rocks in Morse code, spelling out their situation and warning to not send anyone after them. They had then set off to find shelter, as it was approaching the night, and to hear SG-10 tell it, the local wildlife made the Goa'uld seem cute and cuddly in comparison. And were exclusively nocturnal, when the seven stranded humans would not be able to see them coming. Joy.

"Hey, T, where's that temple you were tellin' us about back at base?"

"It is north of here, Colonel O'Neill, and is not far from the stargate. We may, indeed, reach it before nightfall."

"Well, that's good news," one of the marines proclaimed. SG-1 groaned. He had just taunted the Great God Murphy.

-o-

Just after sundown, SG-1's suspicions were proven correct. The other shoe had dropped, and dropped hard. First, the temple was in the forest, where even hours before dark it was as though it were night. Second, one of the beasts SG-10 had described was now chasing them. Third, the temple's doors were sealed shut, and they had no shelter to speak of.

The creature snarled as it stood over Colonel O'Neill, having already killed two marines and knocked Teal'c out of the fight. Captain Carter was sporting some rather nasty gashes from the curved talon on the monster's paw, and Doctor Jackson had a rather sizable bruise on his forehead. If they survived, a concussion was probably. As things stood, though, it looked like this was the end.

Suddenly, the creature yelped in alarm, and ran off. When he stood, O'Neill saw why. The doorway, previously shut, was now gaping wide. In the frame stood a young-looking man with vivid, almost glowing green eyes. In his hands rested a smooth staff, the color of platinum. Semi-familiar runes decorated the shaft, and a small opaque stone was nestled between two prongs.

"Sorry about that. I was on the other end of the facility. I only just got here." The man seemed genuinely apologetic.

"S'alright," O'Neill said. "Can you help us out? My team seems to need medical attention, and I'm not feelin' to great myself."

"Sure," the other person said with a shrug. "Let's get them inside and I'll guide you to the medical bay."

-o-

"So, where are you from?" Harry asked in the hall.  
"Earth. A country called the United States, to be specific," O'Neill said.

Harry was stunned, but quickly schooled his expression to indifference. Thankfully, the other earthling hadn't seemed to notice, but an uncomfortable silence fell upon them anyways.

After a moment, O'Neill said, "So, I hear you aren't the biggest fans of the snakeheads."  
"Snakeheads?" Harry asked, confused.

"Goa'uld," the older man explained.

"Ah. Yeah, no. I can't say I'm overly fond of them."

"Teal'c told us."

"The Jaffa over there?"  
"Yes. How'd-?"

"I have my ways," Harry explained mysteriously. "I can also tell you that anyone who opposes the false gods is welcome here. He will come to no harm by my hand. Ah, we're here."

Two doors retracted into the walls, and the lights came on as though they had a mind of their own. Just as suddenly, five beds lowered from the ceiling, and hovered in place three feet above the ground.

"Okay, that is cool," O'Neill said in awe.

"It gets better," Harry assured. The beds moved to the group, and broke apart into four floating orbs apiece. They quickly assembled themselves into a rectangle again and suspended each person within their confines, then took them to a station.

"I want."

Harry chuckled.


	15. Part II Chapter 10

Chapter X

_Ancient city, 35 light-years from Earth_

The sun rose over the Ancient city. With it awakened the members of SG-1, rejuvenated from their encounter with the night stalker they had met just six hours prior. The 'beds' that had appeared the night before disappeared back into the ceiling after releasing the five earthlings held in their confines. At the door, they were met by the grinning young man who had saved their collective rears the night before.

"So, O'Neill of the U.S. of A., care to properly introduce your team?" he asked, amused.

"Well, this here," he said, indicating the former First Prime of Apophis, "is Teal'c. The blonde behind me is Captain Samantha Carter. Absolute genius, she is, she rigged a replacement DHD for Earth 'cause we didn't have one.

"The guy with glasses is Dr. Daniel Jackson, he's the guy who figured out how to reopen the Stargate.

"The last guy isn't actually a part of my team. The other members of his team were killed by that... thing."

"The wolf-weasel?"

"Yeah, that," O'Neill confirmed, barely holding back a laugh. "So, who're you?"

"My name is Harrison James Potter, I'm the... protector... of this place."

"Why was that task assigned to a child, Harrison James Potter?" Teal'c queried.

"Because there is no one else capable of doing so."

At the confused looks from the others, he elaborated. "The technology here relies on a specific gene sequence in the DNA of the person attempting to use it. Without that gene, it won't even power on. Most of the stuff will remain usable once it's on, but the more dangerous stuff, like the defense systems, need the gene sequence to even be operated."

"You're the only one with that gene sequence?" Captain Carter asked.

Harrison sighed. "I'm the only one, period."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I am the only one of my kind left in this sector of the galaxy."

-o-

After the revelation in the medical bay, SG-1 and their addition until they found a way home followed their host to a meeting area, where they got down to business.

"What brings you to this world?" They were asked.

"SG-10 was sent as part of a routine scouting mission. When they failed to check in for over a day, we, that is, SG-1, were sent to check up on them. Unfortunately, there seems to be something frying our non-hardened electrical equipment. Like our radios. So we can't go home."

"Why not?"

"Our stargate is protected from unwanted intruders by a metal barrier, only a few micrometers from the event horizon. Anything solid coming through while it is closed can't reform, effectively disintegrating it."

"So, since your radios don't work, you can't tell them you are you, so they won't know to take the shield down," Harry summarized succinctly.

"Oops."

"Oops? Why oops? You didn't do anything."

"Actually, yeah, I did," he admitted sheepishly. "I set up a field that would make small devices, like Goa'uld hand devices, melt so their personal shields don't activate. I might be able to send a message, if you like, once I deactivate the field so you can get home."

"That is much appreciated, Harrison," Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill proclaimed. "Hey, while we're at it, would it be possible to work out a trade deal? Our program's mandate is to acquire technologies and resources to defend our home planet from our enemies, namely the snakeheads."

"It is a worthy goal. I will consider a trade agreement. This is all moot, though, if we can't get you back home."

"Point. Let's get to it, then."

-o-

_Stargate Command, Colorado Springs_

"Unscheduled off-world activation!"

"What have we got, sergeant?" General Hammond asked.

"We're receiving a transmission, sir."

"Put it on speakers."

"-I repeat, this is Lieutenant Colonel Jack O'Neill, do you read me?"

"We read you, colonel. Let me be the first to say it is a relief to hear from you."

"Sorry for worrying you, sir, but our radios were fried by an energy field generated by a facility on the planet. We'd like to arrange a pick-up."

"Very well. Head to P5X-112. SG-8 and SG-9 will meet you there in four hours."

"Thank you, sir. Over and out."

-o-

"So, kid, What're your plans for the next while?"

"I guess just stay here, watch, wait, and guard the legacy," Harry said with a shrug.

"Why not go somewhere else? Somewhere you can live a normal life?" O'Neill asked.

"I cannot leave the Legacy unguarded. If it were to fall into the wrong hands..."

"And only you can guard it?" the Tau'ri soldier asked dubiously.

"I am the only person known who possesses the ability to interface with the control chair to its fullest extent, so yes."

"Can't you hide it somehow? Move this 'legacy' to a place where it's not as easy to find?"

"It doesn't work that way," the young man said with a sad smile. "The only way to move it is to use it, and, due to its nature, that would be a certain death sentence for the user."

"So the answer is 'no,' then," O'Neill said with a sigh.

"Feel free to stop by every once in a while. As I said before, anyone who fights the Goa'uld is welcome here."

"We'll take you up on that. Goodbye, Harry."

"Goodbye."

Daniel Jackson entered the seven symbols of their destination, and SG-1 departed.

-o-

_Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton_

'It is time to strike again,' Voldemort mused. 'They are unbalanced. Perhaps... yes. It is time for Hogwarts to fall.'

"Severus! I have a task for you."

-o-

_Council Chamber, Gringotts London_

Deep within the goblin tunnels below Gringotts Bank London, a meeting was held. The leaders of the Goblin Nation had convened to discuss a matter of utmost importance.

"What was this 'eye-change' described to you, William Weasley?"

"The individual who reported it stated that the victim's eyes had become shrouded within shadow, with the darkness fighting for dominance."

"How far along," the Goblin King queried, "was the struggle?"

"The witness did not say. She was seeking an opinion on how to undo the possession, and seemed to not know the true nature of this situation."

"Good. The fewer who know, the fewer will be tempted to risk the Others' wrath." Murmurs of agreement echoed the chamber.

After half an hour of deliberation, King Bloodclaw proclaimed, "Prepare the ritual circle. One more abomination removed and sacrificed is one more day we can rest easy."

-o-

_Gringotts Main, Diagon Alley_

"You asked to see me?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Bill stated. "It has to do with Nathan. What do you know about horcruxes?"  
Hermione gasped in horror. "He- he has one in him?"  
"Yes. The goblins are preparing a ritual to extract it and destroy the fragment. How do you know of these abominations?"

"Voldemort made several to keep himself alive. We- my friends and I- have been trying to find them so they can be destroyed."

"How many have you found so far?" Bill demanded.

"One is already destroyed-"  
"By what?"

"A basilisk fang, years ago. Why?"

"Only something that is able to inflict damage that even magic cannot repair can destroy a horcrux, like… a basilisk's venom, can destroy the soul fragment contained within. How many others are there?"

"We've found three others so far. A ring, heirloom of the Gaunt family; a locket, also belonging to the Gaunt family before Voldemort corrupted it; and a diadem, found in Hogwarts' Room of Requirement."

"Bring them with you when you take Nathan to Gringotts. The goblin ritual masters may be able to make something to track down the rest and destroy them."

"Thank you!" Hermione cried out happily. "Thank you!"


	16. Part II Chapter 11

_November 19th, 1996_

_Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton_

Voldemort gave a vicious laugh. All was falling in place. For the past year now, he had been manipulating Nathan Potter, working to destroy the thorn in his side the group calling themselves 'Chimera' had posed. Now, it was time to strike. With them gone, their damnable influence on the mercenaries and hit-wizards for hire would be gone. With that threat removed, he would finally be able to bring his army's full might to bear without risking a major loss.

It was unfortunate that Hogwarts would be destroyed as well, as he would have liked to establish it as the seat of his empire. However, it was not worth allowing the six-pointed barb to push itself into his flesh any further. They would die tonight.

-o-

_Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts_

Daphne Greengrass was generally a very well-balanced girl, mentally. However, two years ago to the day, she had lost her closest friend, who was also her betrothed. He was not gone, not yet; no. He merely did not speak to her, did not look her way, did not acknowledge her existence in any manner. And it was almost worse than when he finally disappeared, because she did not have a constant reminder of her mistakes made that day, five days before the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. His disappearance was a bittersweet moment, for she now had no chance to reconcile with him, but also was not constantly, every day, reminded of that moment, the 19th of November, 1994, when she made what was perhaps the worst mistake of her life.

In the two years since, she forced herself to forget that day, to concentrate on the struggle against Voldemort, the very reason Chimera existed. But sometimes she would be reminded, and on days such as that, she was but a shell of her normal self.

Therefore, it was no surprise that when the spheres began to tick, she was clueless as to what was going on around her.

-o-

_Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

"Let me get this straight," General Hammond said. "There was some kind of... field... that disrupted electronics around it, supposedly to destroy Goa'uld hand devices should they attack a facility on the planet, located somewhat near the stargate compared to most planets so far explored. You then met a person claiming to be the last survivor of an entire civilization, a teenager, who happens to be the 'green-eyed demon' of Jaffa urban legend? Forgive me if I am somewhat skeptical of all this."

"Sir, it may be hard to believe, but we do have proof, for at least some of it. Our old equipment was melted from inside, and all but one radio was left untampered with by the members of SG-1 or SG-10," Captain Carter said. "I'm certain that, if the devices are checked by a tech expert, they will conclude that they were destroyed by some kind of interference. On top of that, there's the 'souvenir' O'Neill brought back. Those orbs were given to us by Harry for use in our infirmary, they're a highly advanced medical bed. The technology undeniably exists, sir. You have to admit that."

"That brings up another point of concern," Hammond said. "Why would a person just give us advanced technology, without asking for anything in exchange?"

"He said it was in the interests of future relations," Jack proclaimed. "And why not give us advanced medical technology? It's not like it's a weapon, and the ability to reproduce it is well beyond us."

"Indeed, it is as Colonel O'Neill states. A form of medical technology is a show of willingness to trade technology without risking it being misused, or used against the original owner. It will undoubtedly have many safeguards to prevent it from being abused."

Hammond took several moments to consider these arguments. Finally, he said, "Very well. I will authorize an attempt to contact this 'Harry' again. But, I want a guarantee that it will not result in any more pieces of delicate equipment being destroyed. You are to only go through when he responds that the field is down, am I clear on this?"  
"Yes, sir," Carter said

-o-

"I hereby call this meeting to order," Nathan droned in a monotone voice. Ever since the day when Voldemort took complete control over his mind, he no longer behaved in any fashion. He was merely a puppet to Voldemort's will. Fortunately, that would soon end, Hermione reflected. As soon as this meeting was over, she would stun him and drag him to Gringotts, and she would get her Nathan back.

"Only one item is on the agenda today," Nathan said. The wards of the room slammed into place at full strength when the puppet flicked his wand at the wardstone, and a mysterious ticking noise filled the Chamber of Secrets.

Fred and George were the first to react. "Stupefy!" they cried in unison, rendering Nathan Potter unconscious. Fred then grabbed Daphne while George carried Nathan. "The bombs! He set them off! They're going to blow!" they cried out to Hermione. She froze. The bombs...? Oh, shite!

Immediately, she turned to the ward stone. If those bombs detonated while the wards were up, the chaos magic unleashed would be multiplied by the strength of each ward encountered. The only way to shut them down was to remove the central crystal from its slot. If she did this...

She darted forward to the pedestal. She heard George cry out to her as she moved, but she ignored him. As her hand wrapped around the small blue prism controlling the wards, the ticking reached its highest point, and she felt her wrist be pulled towards the door. She managed to pry the crystal free, and she flew through the air. The ticking stopped, and her world went forever dark.

-o-

_November 21st, 1996_

_Gringotts, Diagon Alley_

Daphne Greengrass dragged Nathan Potter up the stairs of Gringotts Bank in Diagon Alley. It had not been easy to get out of Hogwarts to do this, but it had to be done. She could not allow Voldemort to kill anyone else through Nathan.

As it was, Hermione had been caught by the detonation of the bombs. There had been no signs of a body, except a fine coat of gore on the walls of the Chamber. George had succumbed to his injuries just hours before, despite the care of Madam Pomfrey and several expert healers from Saint Mungo's Hospital.

Her closest female friend was dead. Not disappeared, like Harry, the best friend she had ever had. Hermione, second to Harry alone, was dead, and would never come back. Daphne Greengrass vowed to do everything in her power to bring Voldemort down, starting by removing Voldemort from Nathan's mind. Then she could grieve for those she had lost in peace.

"Where's Hermione?" Bill asked when she entered his office.

"Killed," Daphne managed to choke out. "Two days ago."

Bill closed his eyes in sympathy. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes," she snapped. "You can destroy the piece of Voldemort in Nathan and end this madness!"

"Alright," Bill said. "Did you bring any of the other horcruxes with you?"

"No, why?"

"They'll have to use this piece then," Bill murmured. "Alright. I'll take Nathan down to the ritual chamber. Within a day, the soul fragment will be gone," he vowed.

-o-

Bill had kept his word. After the ritual to remove the fragment, a spell was cast that would determine the location of each and every extant horcrux containing a piece of the same soul. To the goblins' horror, one was found in their bank. It did not survive the hour. Several pieces were located at Hogwarts, and a team was sent to retrieve them for purification. The last two pieces registered were in great proximity, and in the region Voldemort was known to be active in. It would be... prudent... to avoid those fragments, as one of them was likely Voldemort himself.

With the destruction of all but one of the seven horcruxes created by the Dark Lord Tom Riddle, the goblins declared their business concluded. Daphne Greengrass left the bank that day feeling as though justice had been served.

-o-

_Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton_

Lord Voldemort snarled in anger. Something had gone wrong, and the plan had failed. The bombs had detonated, he knew that much. Hogwarts, however, still stood, and its inhabitants were unharmed. How had this happened? Why?

To make matters worse, he could no longer feel his telepathic link to the Potter brat's mind. Now he had no way of knowing his enemies' plans, and could not sabotage their efforts from within. 'They may become a true threat,' he thought angrily. 'Damn them! Damn them all to hell!'

* * *

Not a new chapter, just updating the formatting. Sorry for any confusion.


	17. Part III Chapter 1

I decided to post early. Don't expect that to happen often, though.

RANT{

Guest reviewer 't', I can only assume you did not read the heading at _**EACH MAJOR SCENE BREAK**_, because if you had, you would have seen the location and _**DATE**_ that each chapter takes place in.

}

For those confused about what happens when, look for the closest heading above the scene in question. If it only has an italicized location, assume same day. If it has no heading after a scene break, assume same date and same location.

Example Heading:

**_Month Day, Year_**

_Location_

* * *

**_December 17th, 1996_**

_Potter Manor_

Lily Potter watched her son Nathan with concern. Ever since the surprise attack at Hogwarts, and the spell controlling him was lifted, he had been inconsolable. For the first few days, he had not stopped crying, not even to eat or drink. Even now, though, he was not emotionally well.

It was, to a degree, understandable. He had lost two good friends, and nearly three others, and it was shown that not even Hogwarts was safe anymore.

When she had tried to get him to talk about that, he scoffed and said, "Hogwarts was never safe," or "My fault." He did not speak, or listen, for long before tuning her out completely.

Finally, she turned and left. Dinner wouldn't cook itself, and with Nathan' state of mind right now, he needed all the normalcy she could provide.

-o-

_The Burrow_

Ron and Fred Weasley stared morosely at their chess game, long forgotten. How could they do something so... so... normal without him?

Since that night, when the chaos bombs that Fred had helped make took his brother from him, Fred had been inconsolable. What if he had ignored 'Nathan's' command? What if he had built them differently, making them need two different activators? What if? Would George still be alive?

Fred was not alone in the guilt department. It hadn't been solely 'Nathan's' decision to develop the bombs. Ron had been the one to convince the others of their usefulness, and he was the reason they were approved at all. What if?

Blinking back the tears they both knew were coming, they tried to resume their game. But both of them knew it wasn't likely to happen.

-o-

**_December 27th, 1996_**

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"What are we going to do to help these resistance groups?" James Potter asked Kingsley after an emergency meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Nothing."

"What? You must be joking! We can't abandon them like this! Voldemort was our problem. We failed to stop him, and now he's killing innocent people on the mainland. We put them in danger! We have to help them!"

"We cannot spread ourselves so thin," Shacklebolt said with a weary sigh. "If we dispatch forces to those countries, we are lessening our ability to defend Britain against more attacks like the one at Hogwarts."

James flinched. "I- I know. But if we keep him busy out there, maybe-"

"My decision is final, James. We are not leaving our borders."

-o-

**_January 2nd, 1997_**

_Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts School_

"I hereby call this, the last meeting of the organization Chimera, to order," Nathaniel Christopher Potter proclaimed sadly. "If have taken the liberty of defining some standing orders for all of us, before we dissolve for the last time.

"First, Daphne Aurora Greengrass, I entrust to you the key to the Chimera vault, with the understanding that you are to pay any current bounties on Death Eaters until all active bounties have been fulfilled.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, to you I assign the task of maintaining the Chimera records and strategies, with the request that you give copies to the major organizations opposing Tom Riddle.

"Fred Weasley, to you I give possession of the materials and equipment of the labs in the Chamber of Secrets, with the request that you develop products to aid in keeping the public safe.

"As for myself, I take as my responsibility to monitor the passages to the Chamber of Secrets, so they may never be used to threaten Hogwarts again.

"Do you accept your tasks?" Nathan asked solemnly.

A chorus of "I do" echoed through the Chamber. With those last words and a tearful goodbye, the four surviving members of Chimera, who had endured so much for so long, finally broke apart.

\- - -o- - -


	18. Part III Chapter 2

**ICW News Report, January 12th**

Spanish Resistance Crushed!

After months of fighting, despite astonishing success in recapturing the magical sector of Madrid, the resistance efforts against the Dark Lord known as 'Voldemort' have been defeated. With this crushing blow, morale in other resisting countries is at an all-time low.

\- o -

**ICW News Report, January 22nd**

Portugese Rebels Capitulate, Murdered!

Following the loss of over one hundred freedom fighters in an attack on a Death Eater stronghold in Amora, the rebels have capitulated to the Dark Lord. The fighters and their families were found early yesterday, impaled alive in the fields. The leaders of each cell were not so fortunate, with their ribs protruding from their back, snapped to make bloody wings. Magic around the wounds kept them alive until the very end of the execution rite.

\- o -

_**February 1st, 1997**_

_ICW Headquarters_

"We need to change our strategy."

"Yes, what we're doing now is completely ineffective."

"Perhaps if we reinforce the resistance cells?"

"How would we do this?"

"If we were to supplement them with our soldiers, and gave them greater access to supplies, we could greatly increase their chances of success."

"Perhaps we should also focus on training their recruits, as well. That may be the difference between success and failure."

"Agreed. All in favor of bringing the resistance efforts under the ICW banner?"

A chorus of 'I's sounded through the chamber.

"Measure passed."

\- o -

**ICW News Report, February 23rd**

Italy Under Siege by Death Eaters! Rome Heavily Damaged in Attack!

In a surprise attack early this morning, the magical sector of Rome has been destroyed by a powerful blast of chaos magic, far stronger than anything seen in recorded history. In the following hour and a half, Death Eaters poured into the city, killing indiscriminately anyone in their path. ICW soldiers have responded to the attack, and are organizing volunteers to act as a reserve.

\- o -

**ICW News Report, March 9th**

Italian Government Surrenders!

Following the destruction of the Mages' Palace of Rome in the February 23rd bombing, the surviving members of the magical government of Italy began preparations to surrender should organized resistance fail. Yesterday afternoon, in a move reeking of cowardice, they have disclosed the operating bases of each resistance cell in exchange for guarantees of their survival, and surrendered control of their nation to Voldemort.

\- o -

**ICW News Report, March 18th**

Germany Beats Back Death Eaters!

For the first time in this war, a country has successfully resisted the first assault from the Dark Lord! Fewer than a dozen German lives were lost in the assault, and the entire attacking wave was ground to dust! ICW officers are training reserve forces for the inevitable return of Voldemort's forces.

\- o -

**ICW News Report, March 19th**

Voldemort on the Front Line

In another first in the war against the international terrorist, self-proclaimed 'Dark Lord', Voldemort, the man himself has been seen fighting, alongside the elite operatives known only as the 'Inner Circle.' Two towns have, at the time of this article's completion, fallen. The reserve forces have been activated by the International Confederation of Wizards.

\- o -

**ICW News Report, March 23rd**

Czech Republic Falls!

While most of his forces are focused in Germany, recent assassinations of high-ranking officials in the Czech Republic have left the country open for a political takeover. The nation is now under terrorist control.

\- o -

_**March 31st, 1997**_

_Great Hall, Hogwarts_

"I, Fred Weasley,;

"I, Fred Weasley,"

"do hereby swear upon my life;"

"do hereby swear upon my life"

"that I shall uphold the ideals of the Order of the Phoenix;"

"that I shall uphold the ideals of the Order of the Phoenix,"

"and shall act in the defense of the British Isles;"

"and shall act in the defense of the British Isles"

"against the Dark Lord Voldemort."

"against the Dark Lord Voldemort."

"Swear it."

"Should I fail, magic take me from this earth. So I swear, so mote it be."

Shock over the young man's wording at the end grew when the light show began.

A bright flash of magic filled the room, brighter than any of the existing members had ever seen. A stream of magical light stretched through a wall, pulsed blue, then faded. Meanwhile, ribbons flowed into and out of Fred's body, and a shimmering reflection of a lion shone for a brief second, then faded. Finally, the lights condensed into a golden band, which shot into his body.

Arthur Weasley stared in horror. He looked about, but no one else seemed to notice. The lion's tail was a serpent.

\- - - o - - -


	19. Part III Chapter 3

**ICW News Report, May 17th**

_Croatia and Greece Under Attack!_

Voldemort has once again extended his reach further throughout Europe. After the supression of resistance in the western half of Germany, the Dark Lord has invaded Croatia and Greece. Montenegro is the victim of the madman's expanding influence as well.

-o-

**ICW News Report, June 29th**

_Southern Europe Falls!_

All of southern Europe, as of this date, is under Voldemort's control. Resistance efforts are organizing to attempt to retake west Germany, and from there, Europe.

-o-

**ICW News Report, August 11th**

_Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark: Dark Lord's Newest Targets?_

Recent information has come to light on the Dark Lord's potential path of conquest. Assuming this map is valid, the next country to come under attack will be Denmark, followed by Belgium, and then the Netherlands. In an effort to set back the madman and his army, the ICW Grand Army will be stationed in these countries in force.

-o-

**ICW News Report, August 23rd**

_Deception!_

In a disgraceful, cowardly move, the Dark Lord deceived the world and was therefore able to conquer Norway unhindered. In addition, he has crushed resistance in many countries attempting to break free of his iron will. It is at this time unknown how this will affect ICW plans, though a shift to keeping troop deployments from the public eye has been discussed.

-o-

_**August 24th, 1997**_

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"I'm telling you, Kingsley! Fred has something to do with Chimera!"

"All you have as evidence is a shape you claim to have seen in a magical oath binding. No-one else saw this… serpent tail."

"I know what I saw, Kingsley, and I will swear a Vow if I have to. Fred knows something. We need to question him."

"Very well, I will humor you. If you give me a written confession, signed by Fred himself, I will authorize an inquisitorial meeting of the Order."

"Thank you."

-o-

**ICW News Report, September 5th**

_Voldemort Injured in Battle!_

After many months of waiting for a moment like this, it can finally be confirmed that Voldemort was wounded in the battle for the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic! The ICW leadership has not announced their response to this event.

-o-

_**January 1st, 1998**_

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"I, Nathaniel Charlus Potter, do hereby swear upon my life that I shall uphold the ideals of the Order of the Phoenix as they were when I joined. I affirm that I shall act in defense of the British Isles against the Dark Lord known as Voldemort. Should I fail, magic take me from this earth. So mote it be."

Once again, the Order of the Phoenix witnessed an unusual oath binding, and this time, Arthur Weasley knew what to look for. He saw the lion with a serpent's tail, and he knew immediately that it was a much bigger problem than he had thought. Now, though, he might be able to uncover the truth.

\- - - o - - -


	20. Part III Chapter 4

Most of the dialogue in this chapter is quoted from Stargate SG-1.

* * *

December 16, 1998

Operations Room SGC, Cheyenne Mountain

"Sir, somehow the stargate just got a huge power boost, it's drawing ten times more power than normal," Captain Samantha Carter reported.

"Isn't that impossible?" General Hammond queried.

"Yes, sir, the circuit should have blown."

Hammond walked the short distance to the wall phone, and commanded, "This is General Hammond, I want Sergeant Siler and a maintenance crew to the power room immediately."

Seconds later, a loud grinding noise echoed through the chamber, followed by two beeps, one following a short second after the first.

"Uh, sir," Carter began. "The 'gate is dialing out."

"Where to?" Hammond demanded.

"I have no way of knowing. We've completely lost control, sir."

Armed soldiers stormed into the former missile silo, empty now except for the immense Stargate near the back of the long vertical tunnel, and the ramp leading to it as alarms blared all across the facility, red emergency lamps going wild.

"Chevron five is encoded!"

"The device that Jack built is some sort of energy source, he just… hooked it up in the power vault," Daniel Jackson explained as he walked into the room, accompanied by Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, former First Prime of the Goa'uld System Lord Apophis.

"I would not have authorized that, Doctor Jackson. How do we stop this?" Hammond asked.

"You could have Siler pull the main breaker," Sam suggested.

"Chevron six is encoded."

"Wait, Jack has been saying that this is a good thing. So far, he has done nothing bad.

"So far," Hammond emphasized.

"Chevron seven… is encoded?" The ring continued to spin.

"And it's not the point of origin."

"What?"

"General, what if all of the anomalies that have been happening to Jack are part of some… big plan?" Daniel asked, capitalizing on his superior officer's confusion.

"What plan!?"

"Well earlier, Jack told me he had to go through the gate, maybe everything up until now has been leading… to this."

"What's it doing?" Carter asked, confused. The topmost chevron of the stargate snapped open one more time, the seven crystalline bars on each side flaring red once more. The device stilled.

"Chevron eight is locked."

With a thunderous roar, the stargate came to life at last.

"The wormhole is tracking… Captain?"

"Sir, the computer indicates that the wormhole is leaving our known network of stargates. It's going outside of our galaxy."

"That explains why the 'gate needed all the extra power," Jackson said in realization.

"Hold on. I thought stargate addresses were six points in space, with the seventh symbol being the point of origin?"

"The extra chevron must add a new distance calculation to the existing points, kind of like… dialing a different area code," Carter suggested.

"Now what?" 

As if in answer, Jonathan O'Neill turned and began to walk out of the room.

"Colonel!" Hammond cried out. Two guards stood in Jack's path. "I'm just supposed to let you go?"

He's already gone, General," Jackson said sadly. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

The guards reluctantly stepped aside, and SG-1 followed their leader down to the embarkation room, accompanied by the commanding officer of Stargate Command.

"I will accompany you, O'Neill," Teal'c proclaimed.

"I really think he needs to do this alone, Teal'c," Daniel said, shoulders slumped.

"I really hope this is the right thing to do," Hammond muttered as Lieutenant Colonel Jack O'Neill walked up the ramp to the event horizon of the open stargate.

"Wait!" Carter cried, running into the room. "Without the remote code device, he won't be able to get back."

"Without knowing where he's going and why, that could put us in further jeopardy, I'm sorry, I can't authorize it."

Daniel ran up the ramp. "Jack. You understand that if you do this, if you go, you might not be able to come back?"

O'Neill nodded his head, and stepped through.

Up in the control room, a technician reported on the progress of O'Neill's transit, saying, "Traveller is still en route." The computer beeped and blinked red. "We've… lost the traveler."

-o-

Stargate Room, Othala

O'Neill tumbled out of the stargate, crying out in alarm as he flew through the air before landing on the red steps with a thud.

As he stood, he saw two waist-high grey-skinned aliens, their unblinking eyes fixated upon him. With realization, one of them held up their hand, and a crystal began to extract the information from the man's mind. Upon finishing the process, the being said, "Take the crystal to Thor. This information should be with the rest. I will explain things here."

"Who… who are you?" O'Neill asked groggily, as though awakening from a deep slumber. "Where am I?"

"You are on Othala, homeworld of the Asgard, in the galaxy of Ida."

"How did I get here?"

"You arrived through the stargate."

"Why did I come here?" the human asked cautiously.

"In the distant past, there was an alliance of four great races. The Asgard, the Furlings, the Nox, and the Ancients, the builders of the stargates. The Ancients left behind many devices for their chosen successors, only to be revealed upon passing certain tests. By surviving this long with their knowledge inside your brain's data centers, you have passed one of these tests. However, the knowledge was still slowly killing you, and had I not removed the information from your mind, you would be dead at this moment in time."

"I'd be dead?" O'Neill asked in shock.

"There is none currently living, and indeed never has there been a person who could survive with the entire database in their mind indefinitely. Even the closest to a living Ancient yet known would be unable to accomplish that feat. The repositories were not designed to release all of their contents into a single mind, but rather, to distribute it in chunks. However, over the millennia it has been since they were placed, their energy reserves have fallen dangerously low, overriding normal safety features. Hence, why every known repository was either destroyed or placed under the protection of the last living Alteran."

"Why does that sound familiar?" O'Neill asked himself. "Alright, thanks for helping me out, I really appreciate not, well, dying. Um…" He began to pat down his pockets. "Shit. I didn't bring a GDO."

"I will remotely open your planet's iris for you, if you desire."

"No, I'll just go to one of our allies' planets and call in from there. Don't want to jeopardize Hammond's trust in you guys."

"Very well," the asgard conceded. "What world will you travel to?"

O'Neill pointed at the symbols on the dialing pedestal. The asgard blinked twice before dialing the intergalactic address for Videum, and sent a radio signal through to inform Harry of his impending guest.

-o-

Videum, Ancient Outpost

"You know, Jack," Harry said with amusement as the stargate shut down, "You have the single highest propensity for getting into trouble out of every single person I have ever met."

"Yeah, yeah. Pick on the guy who got his head sucked by the damn… head sucker… thingy."

"Head sucker?" Harry demanded.

"Yeah, it was next to a ring of text that apparently said, 'We are the ancients, this is our legacy,' or some such rot."

"So there was one that avoided detection... " Harry muttered to himself. "Alright. I assume you'd like to borrow my radio, again?" 

"Please."

"Alright. I even brought it here this time," was the amused response. "You know how it works."

"Yeah, yeah," O'Neill mock grumbled as he dialed Earth. As soon as the stargate opened, he said, "Hi guys, this is Jack. I got my head fixed up by Thor's people. I should have no side effects of being possessed."

"The iris is open, Colonel. You may step through at your leisure. Don't take too long, though. Dr. Frasier would like to double check your brainwave analysis for herself."

"Alright. O'Neill out." 

"Let's hope our next meeting is under better circumstances, yeah?" Harry asked with a grin.

"Yeah. Here's to hoping." He stepped through the stargate.


	21. Part III Chapter 5

December 20th, 1998

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"Fred, I need you to tell me what you know about Chimera. Now."

The Order of the Phoenix gaped at Arthur, shocked at the accusation.

"I- what- I-"

"It is vital that you tell me everything you know about Chimera, Fredrick Weasley, immediately. Chimera are dangerous, just as if not more so than Voldemort! Who knows what they might be planning? Who knows their next objective? What if they aim to take over our society, and Voldemort is just in the way? You need to tell me everything you may have heard."

"I can't," Fred stated, tears of frustration pouring down his cheeks. The oath he had sworn, they had all sworn, forbade him from telling anyone anything about Chimera unless-"

"I, Nathaniel Charlus Potter, acting commander of the organization known as Chimera, do hereby grant clearance to the members of the Order of the Phoenix present here to be read in on the Chimera project, and all information deemed necessary for them to know."

As the flash of light faded, signalling the acceptance of the modified oath, the Order looked shocked. James and Lily looked horrified. "You- you-"

"I was the acting leader of our organization, yes," Nathan said with a sad smile.

"What do you mean, was? You modified the oath and it was accepted, and you called yourself acting commander there, and you can't lie when swearing or modifying an oath, so why do you say you were acting commander of Chimera?" Lily Potter asked.

"I was acting commander of Chimera because Chimera no longer exists, as of early January."

\- o -

_Videum, Ancient Outpost_

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Harry said to himself as the sensors panel started beeping rapidly.

In orbit, seven spheres began to fade in, and then folded open to reveal tunnels to nowhere. Circles rapidly spun in place, fading from green to blue to purple to green. Spiralling funnels exploded outwards from each tunnel, and an unearthly glow obscured the funnels themselves. A ship exploded out of each tear in space, and the rips sealed themselves once more. The glow faded to oblivion, leaving behind only seven pyramidal spacecraft with armored scaffolding around their base.

Deep inside the facility on the planet's surface, Harry Potter armed the defensive plasma casters, cursing the lack of a Potentia to activate the drone platform. As he did so, the orbiting Goa'uld motherships deployed their full compliment of fighter craft. Cursing loudly, Harry grabbed his staff and retreated to the repository.

\- o -

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School_

"In our first year at Hogwarts, as you know, Quirinus Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort. As you also know, none of the Hogwarts staff believed my brother's and my warnings." A collective wince from the Hogwarts faculty accompanied this statement. "Because the professors refused to act, Harry and I were forced to do so instead. We nearly died as a result.

"The following year, the Hogwarts faculty again showed a refusal to defend the student body against a major threat when a basilisk was unleashed upon the students. Again, Harry and I ultimately had to step in. This time, though, Harry brought together five other students to help us make a plan. We would reconvene the following year when Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban, and we realized that the adults would once again do nothing after Dumbledore ignored the obvious.

"We investigated, and came to an unsurprising, but disheartening, conclusion. Voldemort was on the rise, and no-one would listen. When Harry disappeared at the end of our fourth year, I became acting commander. We started hunting down Voldemort's greatest secret, while also hiring hit wizards to thin Voldemort's numbers."

"What changed?"

"Two of our members were killed, and the group became nonfunctional." Nathan would not elaborate.

"All this time, you did more to fight Voldemort than the Order in its entire history," James whispered, shocked and ashamed. Maybe if he had listened, even once heard them out, his children would not have had to become fighters so very young. Maybe, Harry wouldn't be gone. Similar thoughts echoed through Arthur and Molly Weasley's heads, as well, and a fear that it was too late to repair any damage that might have been done to their relationship with their children.

\- o -

**ICW News Report, February 2nd**

_Scandinavia Falls!_

After a lightning campaign through the Scandinavian peninsula, Voldemort's forces have destroyed one of the last holdouts for the ICW. All resistance efforts throughout what remains of free Europe, as well as all members of the ICW military, have gone into hiding, presumably to regroup for a push against the Dark Lord's legion. This will be the last publication from the ICW presses. Farewell.

\- - - o - - -


	22. Part III Chapter 6

February 3rd, 1998

_Videum, Ancient Outpost_

Harry cursed as he dodged yet another staff blast. Following the start of the assault, he had sealed off the repository hallway with himself and two months' worth of rations inside. That had been a month and a half ago, and the invading force was still strong. The last pulse turret had been destroyed over a week ago, meaning their troop ships could land unimpeded, and the final bulkhead had been breached not long after. In response, he had fired the Asgard distress beacon, but no response had yet come. Now, he had only a week and a half of food and water, and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll.

'I really hope aid comes soon,' he thought to himself desperately.

\- o -

_Briefing Room SGC, Cheyenne Mountain_

"Greetings. I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet. I come with a request of your people."

"What sort of request?" Daniel Jackson asked, confused.

"We as a people request that you give combat aid to one of our allies. Freyr tells me you know each other. He goes by the name Harrison."

"Harry's in trouble?" Jack O'Neill asked, concerned.

"Almost two months ago, seven advanced Ha'taks dropped out of hyperspace in orbit of the legacy planet. While a standard Ha'tak is no match for the planet's defenses, these were different. They resisted the plasma cannons of the Legacy world long enough to bring down the shield generator and destroy the weapons platforms.

"We attempted to send aid ourselves, however, the ship we sent was forced to retreat. Scans indicated, however, that the Goa'uld who commands those ships possesses Ancient technology.

" expected that Harrison will only be able to hold out for another seven days without rescue."

"What do we have to do?" Jack asked.

\- o -

Thor stared at the Stargate as the inner track began to turn. The first symbol, the constellation Capricorn, locked in place in less that five seconds. The Asgard was rather impressed. To manually dial a stargate with such speed had no precedent in galactic history, and with the speed issue mostly dealt with, many advantages of not being part of the DHD network came to mind. Perhaps he should recommend to the high council that they do the same?

"Close the iris." With that command, a large metal shutter covered the stargate. Did they not know of the destructive power of the unstable vortex?

"Chevron seven, locked."

Under one minute after the 'gate unlocked the inner track for manual dialing, the Stargate roared to life. Thor braced himself for the cries as the 'iris' was destroyed. They did not come, for it had somehow remained intact. How was this possible?

"Opening the iris."

The sound of metal grinding on metal echoed through the chamber, and the immense shutter covering the Stargate retracted, seemingly to nowhere.

"The iris is made of pure titanium," Sergeant Walter Harriman explained, "and is less than three micrometers from the stargate's event horizon." That explained it, Thor thought to himself, now thoroughly impressed with the people of the Tau'ri. The unstable vortex could not form, thus there was no way for it to destroy anything.

"SG-1, you have a go," General Hammond proclaimed. "Godspeed."

With those words, SG-1 stepped into the wormhole to the planet Videum.

\- o -

_Videum, Forest near the Stargate_

The four members of SG-1 stealthily crept through the forest, following the trail to the outpost, weapons held aloft. Their eyes darted from one place to another on high alert, both for Jaffa and for another wolf-weasel, as O'Neill insisted on calling it.

On the hike to the outpost, they did indeed encounter another wolf-weasel, though this time, they were prepared, and killed it before it could harm one of them. They continued on to their destination.

Upon arriving at the outpost, they encountered the first of many Jaffa patrols. They immediately hid behind some trees to await entry.

\- o -

_Videum, Ancient Outpost_

In the depths of the outpost, Harry collapsed in exhaustion. They had finally overwhelmed him. He was defeated. Wearily, Harry trudged to the Repository. If he were to die, at least he would take the most dangerous artifact ever created with him into the eternal night.

As he armed his staff for what was likely to be the last time, an explosion sounded through the hall. He turned abruptly, for that was no Goa'uld weapon he recognized. In fact, it almost sounded like -

"Harry! You're alright."

'Holy fucking shit,' Harry thought to himself in amazement. SG-1 had arrived.

\- o -

"So, Harry, mind telling us what that there box is?" O'Neill asked, curious.

"Oh, it's a… what do you call them… a keepsake, I guess," Harry said, motioning to them that this was the room he wanted to enter.

"Why are we in here?" Carter asked.

"I have to set the self-destruct. There are far too many things here that the Goa'uld could use to their advantage, and I cannot risk that happening."

"Is the artefact you were protecting here one of those objects the self-destruct will destroy?" Teal'c queried.

Harry briefly hesitated. "Yes." Harry pressed a few panels down to finish the sequence, and the lights on the side of the altar started flashing. "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed. How long did you say you set the timer for, again?"

"I didn't. Five minutes."

"Right. Move it, people!"

\- o -

_Cheyenne Mountain, Stargate Operations_

"Incoming wormhole!"

The stargate roared to life, and the iris closed over the barrier.

"We're receiving no IDC, sir."

A series of impacts indicated the destruction of whatever came through the wormhole.

The iris retracted as the stargate disengaged.

\- - - o - - -


	23. Part III Chapter 7

_February 3rd, 1999_

Videum, Stargate Clearing

Daniel Jackson hurriedly dialed Earth. 'Auriga… cetus… centaurus… cancer… scutum… eridamus.' He pressed the button. The wormhole failed to engage.

Several Jaffa stormed into the clearing, having heard the stargate locking the chevrons. As Daniel entered the symbols a second time, the other members of SG-1 attempted to fight the attackers off.

Once again, the stargate failed to engage.

Several minutes later, and two more dial-in attempts, SG-1 ran out of ammunition. Because it had been an infiltration and rescue mission, they had been sent with only limited number of magazines. Just as the last shot was fired, however, Harry, able to cast once more having rested, conjured his signature green fire from his staff.

The flame twisted and braided itself in mid-air, reaching out in tendrils towards the oncoming Jaffa. The searing heat burned through their armor long before the fire actually touched them. Within moments, the entire attacking force had been melted to a puddle of slag.

The stargate engaged, and immediately after Carter entered the IDC, the team plus Harry stepped through the gate.

\- o -

_February 12th, 1999_

Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Sublevel 22

Harry focused on the wall behind the wardrobe in his new office. Days prior, his request to stay at the SGC had been tentatively approved, and he was given a space to call his own. Truly, he had missed being around other humans constantly. 'Three years of little contact with one's own species, two years of almost total isolation, really puts things in perspective,' he mused. With a shake of his head, Harry returned his attention to the wall.

Slowly, the concrete began to warp, creating a small, deep hole into the bedrock. A human-sized alcove melted into being two feet into the tunnel, and Harry slipped the shrunken package into place. With a thought, it expanded to full size, tearing the paper to shreds.

Harry willed the concrete hole to reseal, and after a moment, there was no sign of the Repository of Knowledge having been hidden there. Harry nodded to himself in satisfaction. 'Now I just need to work on my casting speed again,' he resolved.

"Potter, report to the briefing room," Hammond called over the intercom.

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, February 16th, 1999_

The past few months have been quite hectic. When the ICW officially collapsed, Voldemort turned his attention to attacking the muggles. However, Harry's theory proved correct. When faced with a machine gun, a shield charm is worse than useless. It seems that Voldemort is scaling back his operations to one country at a time. Obliviators are having to work overtime to contain the breach in the Statute of Secrecy. At least we have time to prepare for whenever he strikes at Britain again.

\- o -

_February 21st, 1999_

Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Gate Room

Harry rechecked the combat vest nervously. This would be the first time he went through the stargate to an unknown location, and while he had been in combat before, this time he didn't know what lay in wait.

"Dial it up, Walter," Hammond proclaimed.

"Yes sir," Sergeant Harriman said. With the pressing of a few keys, the systems delivering power to the stargate released a powerful pulse of energy into the naquadah ring, triggering the release of the internal mechanisms holding the inner track in place. Four powerful motors started to turn, and dialing commenced.

"Chevron one, encoded," Harriman called out.

"Nervous, Harry?" O'Neill asked.

"I've only been through the stargate once, and it was into confirmed friendly territory," he defended.

"Don't worry about it, everyone is nervous their first trip into the unknown," Daniel said.

"Chevron two, encoded."

"At least you won't be frozen solid on the other side like we used to be," O'Neill said, amused.

"At least there's that," Harry said with a sigh, steeling his nerves.

"Chevron three, encoded."

"What do we know about this planet?" O'Neill asked Carter, trying to change the subject.

"All we know is that, this time of year, the wormhole passes dangerously close to the sun. In fact, had we left when we were originally scheduled to, the matter stream would have been bisected by a solar flare."

Harry cut in. "I'm suddenly very glad the mission was delayed."

"Why?" Carter asked, interested.

"Had that happened, the matter stream would have been rerouted significantly. It may have even caused us to leap back in time."

"And who knows if we would have been able to get back," Carter murmured in realization.

"Chevron six is encoded."

"Well, kiddos, let's get ready to move out."

"Yes, sir," SG-1 said in unison. Harry checked his backpack's straps once again, and hoisted it onto his shoulders.

"Chevron seven, locked."

SG-1 departed to P2X-555.

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, April 29th, 1999_

The war seems to be turning in our favor. While Voldemort has been focusing on the muggle world in countries he has taken, Kingsley has finally been convinced of the necessity of stopping Voldemort before he gets to Britain. The Order of the Phoenix is back in the fight.

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, July 4nd, 1999_

Kingsley is worried. Two days ago, a cult was exposed in the United States, a cult that controlled its members using some form of fume with imperius-like effects. How many more of these cults are there, and to whom do they owe their allegiance?

\- o -

_August 14th, 1999_

Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Stargate Operations

"Sir, we're receiving a message from the Tok'ra," the on-duty communication technician reported.

"Put it on speaker," Hammond ordered.

"Stargate Command, this is Selmak of the Tok'ra. New information has come to light about a major threat to this galaxy. In the past few months, a goa'uld, working in the shadows, has subjugated two system lords, using ships far superior to a goa'uld ha'tak, though taking the same form." Hammond's eyes widened. That sounded remarkably like the ships that attacked Videum. "At present, the identity of this new goa'uld is unknown, nor have our spies discerned how they have acquired such advanced technology. It is highly recommended that you proceed with further stargate exploration with caution. Selmak out."

\- - - o - - -


	24. Part III Chapter 8

_October 30th, 1999_

Location Unknown

Albus Dumbledore huddled in a small hole in the ground with other survivors of Voldemort's attack. For the past four years, he had been wandering Europe, helping where able, following his removal from his offices and the Order uniting against him, forcing him out. During that time, he had had much time to think over his decisions, and the only thing he could feel now was guilt. By proclaiming Nathan 'Boy-Who-Lived,' he had doomed an innocent child to a life of neglect, and his refusal to see the truth about Voldemort's survival lead to that same child being condemned to Azkaban. When he continued the search for Harry Potter, hoping to bring him home and reunite a shattered family, Nathan instead launched a full-blown campaign to remove him from office, succeeding in under three days.

The worst of harms come from the best of intentions, his mentor had once told him. It seems he fell into that trap as well.

A sound in the distance rang through Dumbledore's ears.

"They are coming," he warned. "Be prepared."

At least he had a chance to right one wrong.

\- o -

_October 31st, 1999_

Colorado Springs, Colorado

The car raced down the parking lot at the two men near the van, blue sparks lashing forward forming a shield of sorts in front of the silvery car. Cobalt light pulsed along ribs protruding from the chassis. Abruptly, in a great flash of light, the car disappeared, twin trails of fire rushing past the two figures observing the event.

One of them, an older man with hair always splayed out in all directions, started jumping up and down, crying out, "What did I tell you?! Eighty-eight miles per hour!"

Harry stared in fascination at the small box on the wall. Only a few days prior, Jack and Daniel had introduced him to the wonders of television, and he hadn't been able to get far, he had watched the Star Wars Trilogy, Independence Day, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. He was now watching Back to the Future. It was a wonderful distraction to keep his mind off of the events of the past several months.

First, a naquadah-rich asteroid hurtled at the homeworld of Humanity, nearly ending with the destruction of all life on Earth. This was immediately after followed by a desperate message from Narim, the Tollan ambassador with Stargate Command, begging for assistance in rescuing what was left of his civilization from Tanith's revenge. The Tel'tak used to avert the asteroid crisis was sent, along with three SG teams, to assist them. It was there that they learned that Tanith was not acting alone. The only upshot of the situation with the Tollan was that they were now more amenable to give some of their technology to the Tau'ri.

Meanwhile, more worlds were falling, each to a different Goa'uld with the same technology. Finally, Jacob Carter and Selmak, a member of the Tok'ra, revealed to them the identity of the individual orchestrating events for the past few years at least: Anubis, a system lord whose crimes were revolting even to the Goa'uld, whose exile had endured for a span longer than the Tok'ra's entire existence.

All of SG-1 quite appreciated the distraction of introducing Harry to television. It forced them to not dwell on what had transpired.

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, November 15th, 1999_

The Order of the Phoenix is entirely bloody useless, the lot of them! It's been years since any aid has been rendered to another country fighting Voldemort! If it continues like this, within a matter of years, Voldemort will be the undisputed lord and master of everything in Europe that breathes!

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, February 1st, 2000_

Potter Manor fell under attack yesterday. It's the first outright attack on British soil since Minister Bones finished "cleaning house," so to speak. The Order is on edge. Voldemort is planning something.

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, August 9th, 2000_

Attacks in the mainland have slowed down. Voldemort seems to be in a recruiting phase. It seems also that the resistance in occupied countries has disappeared entirely. How many died before they gave up? How many were tortured before the rest realized no help was coming? How much blood will Kingsley allow to stain his hands through inaction? Hermione would never have let this stand. If only she were still here...

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, December 11th, 2000_

Ron is officially a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He was… disappointed… at the lack of anything being done to oppose the Death Eaters. After the meeting, he and Fred rushed off together. They're planning something, and I think I know what it is.

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, March 15th, 2000_

Amelia Bones is dead. Voldemort killed her himself. Kingsley has finally realized his methods are not working, and has stepped down. The Order is in chaos trying to find a new leader in this time of crisis, for Europe is fully under the Dark Lord's dominion as of today.

\- o -

_March 16th, 2000_

Embarkation Room, Cheyenne Mountain

"All rise. Harry Potter, step forward," Hammond commanded. "For over a year now, Harold James Potter has shown all the qualities expected of an officer in the United States Air Force, and a member of this base. With the President's approval, I hereby grant you a commission in the Air Force, and the rank of Captain."

\- o -

Great Hall, Hogwarts School

"No offense, Sirius, but you're too easily distracted to be a good leader."

"None taken, Minnie, none taken. I don't want that job anyway, too much bloody paperwork," he responded with a smirk.

This was the third meeting where discussion centered on selecting a new leader. It was also the third meeting where Nathan was more tense than a drawn bowstring, waiting for the two Weasley brothers attending the meeting to do what he suspected they would.

Discussion halted when Astoria, Daphne's little sister, pushed a folder into the middle of the table. McGonagall, presiding over the meeting pro tempore, summoned it to her. Her eyebrows escaped to her hairline as she read its contents, leafing through it rapidly. Finally, she lowered the papers to the surface of her podium. She announced Astoria's nomination, and Fred and Ron smirked in unison.

\- - - o - - -


	25. Part III Chapter 9

_March 16th, 2001_

Great Hall, Hogwarts School

"Nathan Potter is nominated for the position of head of the Order of the Phoenix. Who will second?" McGonagall asked.

"I will," Ron proclaimed, still smirking.

"The nomination is seconded," Minerva declared. "I submit the... dossier... for perusal."

Several minutes passed as those interested read through the files Astoria had prepared, and Professor McGonagall had so graciously duplicated for each table. A murmur began in the corners of the room, soon gaining strength.

"Who dissents?" The pro tempore presiding member asked. Molly Weasley stood.

"He is too young!"

"Bullshit," Kingsley declared. "Nathan is of legal age, and has far more experience than most among us in fighting the Dark Lord. And his methods, though it pains me to admit, are far more effective than my own. He is legally allowed to enlist in the most dangerous professions of our world. To say that he cannot lead because he is 'too young', despite having proven himself an effective general in the past, is ignorance made flesh."

McGonagall, after seeing that no other dissents were forthcoming following Kingsley's smackdown, called a vote.

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, March 23rd, 2001

I'm still getting used to this new office they insisted I take as my own. Over the past week, I've been restructuring the Order's goals, and assigning tasks. At Fred and Ron's insistence, and with their aid, I have convinced Daphne to join the Order. She now coordinates information-gathering efforts to supply our (newly-formed) strategy team. Ron, unsurprisingly, was the top candidate, surpassing all other members of the Order. He has been coordinating efforts to defend all of Britain, for when Voldemort inevitably attacks once more.

To say that the rest of the Order of the Phoenix was surprised by the changes I am making would be a vast understatement. To say that a number of them are turning red in the face from rage hits the nail on the head. But they chose me to lead them, and I refuse to fail again.

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, April 12th, 20011_

Voldemort has once again attacked British soil. The muggle world is, fortunately, still, to excuse the pun, oblivious as to the situation. The Ministry of Magic even refused to allow the heads of state in on the true nature of the many 'natural disasters' striking throughout Europe, and the mysterious gloom in parts that, while unfrequented by non-magical citizens, had seemed cheerful and full of life.

I'm almost convinced that overthrowing the various Ministries throughout Europe would be a good thing, because of how effective muggle equipment has been shown to be and their collective refusal to allow it to be used, even by those with magical blood. However, I can understand the ruling bodies' sentiment. The more people who know a secret, the less safe it is, and procuring the equipment alone would raise many people's suspicions.

After careful deliberation, I have requested Daphne keep an ear to the ground for leads on Harry's whereabouts. She told me she had been since he disappeared. If he ever is found, I'm going to lock them in a closet alone until they reconcile. I'm not sure I'm joking, either.

\- o -

_May 1st, 2001_

Location Unknown

Dumbledore winced as another blast rocked the hideout. It was far from being a secure location, and had not been intended to house so many people. For months now, he had been gathering what remained of the resistance on the mainland and getting innocent people away from the conflict.

"Sir, we received a message from Russia. They said that… that any more refugees sent over the border would be summarily executed."

Albus' eyes widened in horror. That had been their only avenue left for evacuation.

"Sir, many of the refugees wish to join the fight, not flee. I know you are opposed to letting anyone younger than thirty actually fight, but-"

"Very well," Dumbledore said wearily.

"W-what?"

"Let them join. Have the best instructors among us teach them the basics while we travel."

"Where will we go, sir?"

"Our mission is now changed. We depart for Albania in four hours. Spread the word."

\- o -

_Nathan's Journal, May 17th, 2001_

Things seem to be looking up for us now. It's been months since the last attack on British soil, and the Order is now prepared to begin striking back. We have already targeted one of Voldemort's command centers on the mainland. Our aim, for now, is to create as big a disruption as is possible, weakening the Death Eaters. My father and his friends from school proved to be quite creative in drafting ideas.

However, not all is well. Daphne is near to a mental breakdown from the stress of her task in the Order and searching for information about Harry's whereabouts. It doesn't help she cannot forgive herself for driving Harry away from her in the first place, and her belief that had she not Harry would still be here weighs on her mind. I have ordered her to take a few months off, just until the start of August, so she can relax.

\- o -

August 5th, 2001

SGC Briefing Room, Cheyenne Mountain

"I admit to being curious, Captain Potter," Hammond said. "Exactly what is your staff, to be able to do the things SG-1 reports?"

SG-1 had just returned from a standard recon mission gone bad, prompting Harry to call on his powers again. The team's, and the General's, curiosity was too strong to ignore. What if it could be replicated?

"That is an interesting question," Harry said. "Ultimately, it stems from what my ancestors called Zero Point Energy. With the proper medium, it can be shaped and altered to achieve many effects. At their height, this energy was the power source for some of our civilization's greatest achievements.

"What my staff does is it amplifies this energy and channels it in a specific way. A neural interface allows me to control it telepathically."

"So it is not you yourself that summons the emerald flame?" Teal'c asked.

"No. Without my staff, I am severely limited in my abilities, though it is an innate ability to sense 'zpe that allows it to work properly. Hammond looked thoughtful at that proclamation. Was he one of _them_?

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, August 6th, 2001

It seems our luck is running out. Voldemort launched a series of attacks that, while smaller than he usually sends out, forced us to divide our attention, to the death of three of our number. This isn't working anymore. We have to do something different.

\- o -

August 8th, 2001

"I have a small lead," Daphne proclaimed.

Immediately, Nathan's eyes snapped to hers. "Where?"

"The United States," the girl said, "though where exactly I cannot say. All I know is that, a few months ago, he appeared in military records."

"Military?"

"The documents didn't say exactly what it was, but he's working with them on some project or something, called 'Blue Book,' I believe. I'll have to double check."

"Do so. Alert me if you find anything more."

"You will be the first I tell," she promised.

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, August 14th, 2001

Ron made several suggestions at today's meeting to improve effectiveness in combat. I have put him in charge of devising a training system. It's almost like we are back in the Chamber again. I miss those days, back when Hermione and Fred were still alive.

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, August 23rd, 2001

It's almost time for the new school year to begin. Most of the Hogwarts staff is focusing on preparing for the students' arrival. It's hard to believe that six years have passed since my brother disappeared and the war began.

Severus has brought information about a planned attack on the Express tomorrow. He does not have exact numbers, but evidently Voldemort implied that it was to be the same sized force as most of his other attacks; that is to say, a handful of Death Eaters at most. Two groups of our combat-ready duelists are being sent on the train to protect the students. That will have to be enough. We didn't have very many fighters to begin.

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, September 1st, 2001

A horrible tragedy has befallen us this day. One in ten of the students on the Hogwarts Express were killed in an attack, and many members of the Order fell trying to defend their charges. We must not let their deaths be in vain. I have done what I thought I never would again. The Chimera wakes.

\- - - o - - -


	26. Part III Chapter 10

I will be unable to post at my regular time, thus, I am posting now. Enjoy having two new chapters in four days.

* * *

October 15th, 2001

Great Hall, Hogwarts School

"I, Nathaniel Charlus Potter, do hereby reactivate the Chimera project, from now until our mission is done." A flash of light signalled the new ward stone coming to life for the first time, secrecy spells binding all those present in the room. Anything said here could not be spoken outside its walls.

"Our first order of business is to draft a plan for protecting Hogwarts. This attack implies that Voldemort is going to move on Hogwarts soon, and I don't trust the Order with this task. As sad as it is, we are the most qualified people to oppose Voldemort."

"The first thing we need to do is secure the approaches. Hogwarts' wards are by far the strongest magical force in Britain. Any attacker would try to bypass them first, if They're smart, and Voldemort has Pettigrew, who helped make the Marauders Map. If we leave the passages open for him…"

"Anything else we do won't matter. Okay, Fred, do you have anything that might work to seal them off?"

"One already is. If we place a chaos bomb at the midway point between the entrances and the wardline, we can eliminate the entire first wave easily, and will collapse the entrance. From there, simple repeater traps drawn on the walls will suffice to kill anything that gets through until we shut them off or they burn out. Another possibility is we do a controlled rockfall spell and meld the stones. This will destroy the passageways, but has the added benefit of making Voldemort doubt Pettigrew intel."

"Alright, I will suggest those at the next Order meeting. I know that the statues lining the halls can be animated in the event of an emergency," Nathan suggested.

"Yes, that will make securing the entrance hall much easier. We'll need to organize a watch on the towers, so once the wards fall, an attack by air is harder to pull off."

"I'll draft a plan, figure out who goes where," Ron said.

"I'll head recruitment," Daphne offered.

"Do it. Alright, everyone. Get to it. We might not have much time."

\- o -

November 13th, 2002

Daphne's Office, Hogwarts School

Daphne choked back a sob as yet another file failed to yield any hints, even a whisper, about Harry. It had been so long since she had spoken to him. Was he even the same person anymore?

Ever since that cold November night in 1994, she had wallowed in guilt. It only got worse when Harry was accused of murder and treason, and his subsequent disappearance rubbed salt into the still-fresh wound. If she had tried, truly pushed herself to make things right between them, would he have left?

But she hadn't apologized. Everything she had done that had chipped away at Harry's trust in her, each little snip at their bond of friendship and affection and the beginnings of love, had piled up until she, in a fit of stupid, petty, misplaced jealousy, pushed him over the edge.

In the months that followed, she kept losing her nerve just before she approached him, afraid of his response. What had her actions cost her? What if, when they found him, Harry wanted nothing to do with her? But she had to at least try. Who knows what failure would cost her this time? She couldn't take that risk. Even if she lost him in the romantic sense, she could at least try to be his friend. She didn't think she could bear losing him entirely.

Stirring out of her thoughts, she idly turned to a new page. She quickly skimmed over it. An artifact being moved from Nevada to Colorado Springs for safekeeping… four new soldiers transferred to Blue Book… a satellite malfunction tricking NASA into thinking a large asteroid was incoming… wait. Blue Book?

Daphne quickly read through her short page of notes, and her breath caught in her throat. Harry was in Colorado. Maybe she would actually get a chance to apologize for her stupidity.

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, December 1st, 2001

Magical England is no longer its own nation. Voldemort, yesterday evening, brought the Ministry building in London to its knees and replaced it with his own government. Fortunately, Order spies in the Ministry of Magic were able to disconnect England from Scotland and Ireland, and Voldemort's government is less able to operate. However, it will not be long before they, too, fall.

Daphne reported that she has a lead on Harry's location. I hate to bring my brother into this, but the majority of the Order believes he can stop Voldemort, and, I have feared for some time now that… they may be right.

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, January 2nd, 2002

My worst fears were realized this morning. Scotland and Ireland's magical governments have been overthrown by glorified terrorists and their sycophants. Hogwarts Valley is all that now stands between Voldemort and total domination of Europe.

\- o -

March 8th, 2002

Daphne hastily stuffed the relevant files into her robe pocket as she rushed towards the Great Hall. She still had five minutes until the Chimera war council began, and she had to report this.

Finally, she burst into the Great Hall, breath coming out in wheezes. She caught her breath, and hurriedly said, "Harry is an officer in the United States Air Force, stationed in Colorado."

\- o -

Nathan's Journal, March 22nd, 2002

I knew it would not last long. Voldemort's armies are at the edge of the wardline. Hogsmeade is already captured, and the first bomb Fred set in the passages detonated minutes before I started writing this. Ron is organizing the defensive watch at this moment. Hogwarts is under siege.

\- o -

March 28th, 2002

Brasov, Romania

Viktor Krum looked up from his work as their leader stood.

"We depart for England in one hour. Pack your bags."

For the past several years since his homeland had fallen to Voldemort's relentless assault, he had been a member of the Resistance. He had trained many of his comrades-in-arms himself in the ways of battle, and when the former leader of the Order of the Phoenix passed through Germany looking for refugees, he had immediately offered to pledge his wand to the rescue effort.

After the last country left to take refugees closed their borders, officially because of difficulty integrating them into their country, the mission had changed to one of war. They had crafted a name for themselves in Eastern Europe, starting with Albania, where they had struck at Voldemort's political arm. Each puppet governor dead reduced Voldemort's ability to control the people left in his territories, and the Resistance's fighters took out any Death Eaters who tried to attack the muggle world.

Now, their leader, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, was marching them to England, where the Dark Lord himself was overseeing the siege of Hogwarts Castle. Soon, his reign of terror would come to an end.

\- o -

April 1st, 2002

Great Hall, Hogwarts School

The Order of the Phoenix gathered at the tables. Nathan stood, and proclaimed, "I declare this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to be in session." The wardstone, concealed on the lectern, pulsed briefly, and the secrecy wards snapped into place.

"Severus, please make your report." Had one told Nathan a scant year ago that he would willingly call Professor Snape by his first name, or given the man a modicum of respect without coercion, he would have laughed in their face. But having gotten to know the man outside of a school setting, and without the weight of an old grudge, they actually got along rather well. He listened attentively as the 'Dungeon Bat' as he had called his old potions professor while still in school began to speak.

"The Dark Lord has somehow gained access to the secrets of goblin curse-breakers. In a matter of days, he will begin to break the wards with their 'thimble-sacks.'"

The members of Chimera paled at this declaration. If Voldemort but made a big enough bomb…

"Fortunately, he seems insistent on taking the castle intact. He is assembling his forces into three groups, each planning to attack by a different venue. The first will storm the gate. The others, he will not reveal. I… I believe he suspects there is a spy in his midst."

"Alright. Thank you again for getting this information to us. Ron, what other avenues might be pursued?"

"The most obvious choice is the Chamber of Secrets, but you took care of that years ago… Air is a good possibility, so I strongly recommend we give the tower watch goggles to see through invisibility charms and cloaks.

"Another option is through the secret passages we didn't destroy. If he advances through those, he will lose most of that group, but sufficient numbers will overwhelm the defenses there.

"The only other thing I can think of is over the lake, but that seems unlikely."

"Have a fraction of the statues guard the port anyways, and tell the tower watch that any boats they see are to be destroyed immediately," Nathan said.

James Potter called out, "This is only temporary! How do we kill the bastard?"

"As far as we know, no-one can. During the assault on Germany, Voldemort was hit with no fewer than ten Killing Curses in the same battle, and continued strong. Whatever he did when he was reborn must have included some kind of shield to stop magical and physical attacks from harming him.

"The Prophecy hints that Harry may hold some way to end his reign, but even if he does, Harry is not here, and we don't know where to find him.

"That's… not entirely true," Daphne proclaimed. The hall went deathly silent.


	27. Part III Chapter 11

Final chapter of Part III. You know what that means! The first chapter of the final act will be posted in mid December.

* * *

April 14th, 2002

Great Hall, Hogwarts School

"We didn't get everything we wanted from the Americans, but they were willing to compromise. In exchange for the meeting happening at Harry's workplace and being allowed to bring an emergency portkey, we are only allowed to send two delegates who will remain under heavy guard for the duration of the mission, which will last for a maximum of five days."

"Well, it's not ideal," Fred proclaimed, "but it will have to do."

"Who are you sending?" Daphne asked, an unreadable expression in her eyes.

"None of us is going on that trip," Nathan said. "We are needed here, to protect the people in this castle."

"This would be protecting them," Daphne argued.

"Our skills do not lie in persuading people to come back to a place that, last time he was here, tried to kill him," Nathan argued. "It needs to be people who were in no way involved in his unlawful conviction."

"We weren't," Daphne argued insistently.

"But you, at least, hadn't spoken to him for almost a year when that happened, and while I don't know exactly what happened, I can guess," Nathan snapped. "Harry doesn't need the first person he sees from magical Britain to be a person who abandoned him at the drop of a hat!"

Daphne blinked, eyes moist from the scathing rebuke. "You- you're right," she said sorrowfully. "I- I just want-"

"You want to apologize. I understand that, I really do, but should that be his first contact with his homeland, the homeland that accused him of murder and convicted him without a trial?"

The girl shook her head, a few tears leaking out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Daphne," Nathan said wearily. "I shouldn't have snapped at you, you don't deserve it."

"No," she said, "it's entirely justified. If.. if you allowed me to go, it might do more harm than good, and if ever there was a mission that would end the world if it failed, it's this one." She angrily wiped her eyes dry of tears and composed herself. "What are we going to do to make sure the ambassadors get past the wardline safely?"

"I have an idea," Fred proclaimed, "that just might work."

\- o -

April 15th, 2002

Entrance Hall, Hogwarts School

"Remember, your mission is to convince Harry to come back of his own accord. This won't do us any good of you force him to come back," Nathan emphasized.

His father nodded his head and said, "Understood."

"Alright. Kingsley will escorts you to the Gate as soon as the counterattack begins. I wish you luck, for all our sakes."

Nathan retreated further into the building, leaving James, Lily, and Kingsley alone in the entrance hall.

"Alright, Nathan likely wouldn't approve of this, but I had a pair of portkeys arranged to bring you back here in an emergency. They're linked to activate sequentially, so if one is triggered, the other will activate with a few-second delay. Keep that in mind if you end up needing them."

"Thank you, Kingsley," Lily said with relief. "It's good to know we have a means of escape should something happen."

A pulse of light from the forest lit up the grounds, barely illuminated by the first hints of the sun. "That's our signal." Kingsley broke into a run. The elder Potters followed.

As they approached the Gate to the Hogwarts grounds, they froze. Ten Death Eaters stood a short walk away. "Go," Kingsley whispered urgently. "I'll hold them off."

James pulled his wife's arm, dragging her to the stone arch. Kingsley shot a quick spell through the bars, and a Death Eater fell. A cry of alarm echoed through the group, now on high alert. The trained Auror, veteran of the war against Voldemort, drew their attention to him, duelling through the portcullis while the two ambassadors slipped through, quickly disappearing from Britain. Kingsley gave a dark smirk of satisfaction as he danced out of range, slipping back up the path to the castle as the first rays of dawn illuminated the valley.

\- o -

April 15th, 2002

Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado Springs

James Potter and his wife Lily stared in shock as their portkey landed outside Cheyenne Mountain. The obviously-military nature of the complex was... concerning... to them. They had known that he worked for the United States Air Force, a confusing fact in and of itself, but why would "Deep Space Radar Telemetry" warrant such a well-defended compound? And, even worse, why did it look like the security measures were more to keep people in than out? They both gripped their emergency portkeys tightly.

As they approached the mountain, they were stopped three times, at different checkpoints. Finally, they got inside, where they were escorted into an elevator past a truly immense metal door, and their trip into the depths of the facility began.

"You're the people meeting Captain Potter," their escort said. It was not a question.

"We are," James agreed.

"I've known Harry for three years now, and never once have I seen him as pale as when he walked out of the room having just been told you were coming to meet with him. What did you people do to make one of the bravest men I know look like he'd just seen a ghost?" When Lily opened her mouth to speak, he continued, "No, don't answer. I'm not sure I want to know. I'd likely be arrested for assault if I found out. But whatever it was, I don't think you can undo."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence in the elevator car. Thankfully, the elevator came to a stop at last.

When they stepped out, their escort ushered them into a second elevator, nodding at a man with a gold symbol on his forehead. "Teal'c," he said. "There been any trouble?"

"There has not, Colonel O'Neill." The man turned his gaze on Lily and James for a moment, then looked away. If he had noticed the resemblance to Harry, he did not give any indication.

"Alright, thanks for the lookout, T," O'Neill said with a grin. "Tell the kid his one o'clock is here, will you?"

"Very well, Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said. He walked into the hallway, and the elevator doors closed.

This time, the elevator stopped above the bottom of the shaft, on a level labeled "Sub-Level 27." Colonel O'Neill guided them to a room with a large red and black table dominating the space. There was a window, why the muggles would put one in they couldn't imagine, but it was covered with a metal blast shield, obscuring whatever view it might have had.

The symbol on the wall appeared to be the project's crest, and they had seen it throughout the facility as they were being led to this room, on patches and on various documents people were carrying. The symbol featured a grey 'V' capped with a semi-circle, with a triangle inside its borders. Superimposed over this image was a gold carat with the letters "SGC" above it. What was this place? Was it some secret research facility? If so, what were they studying?

"Sit down," O'Neill commanded. "Captain Potter will be down shortly." With that, he departed.

After what seemed an eternity, the doors opened again, and their son entered the room. He stood tall, his posture that of a veteran of war. If it hadn't been the muggle Air Force they were dealing with, they might have suspected polyjuice, but as it was, they could only wonder how Deep Space Radar Telemetry turned teenage boys into combat veterans.

"I don't want to deal with you two," Harry said coldly, "so get to the point. Why should I come back? I assume that's what you're here for, as you haven't tried to capture or kill me yet."

\- o -

'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Harry thought to himself, irritated to say the least. 'How could I have let them rile me up like that? Stupid!'

The first meeting had not gone well. His 'parents' had tried to act like nothing had happened, that they were still loving parents and he still a young child in need of them. He disabused them of that notion rather violently, and they called the meeting short to 'give him time to calm down.' In an hour, they would be back in the briefing room, waiting for him.

Harry sighed. While he would rather not do this, if he pretended to cooperate, then it would be over and done, and he could get back to his regular life.

\- o -

"You want to know why I don't want to come back?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Lily said empathetically. "please, tell us! We- we can- we'll try and fix it, whatever it is!"

"I don't think you can," Harry responded darkly. "You ask why I don't want to return under the assumption that it is one thing that drove me off. No. There are many reasons, only one of them fixable by you.

"Hah. To understand, you need to know how it began. Has Nathan told you the secret yet?"

"Chimera?"

"So he has, then. Good. Did he tell you why he and I started Chimera?"

"He said it was because the adults who were supposed to protect the students failed to, and when Voldemort started to return, its focus shifted to attempting to stop him."

"So you know the very basics. In my first year at Hogwarts, Quirinus Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort. Albus Dumbledore, a man supposed to protect his students from harm, instead allowed one of the worst Dark Lords of the past two centuries to roam the castle unchecked. Nathan and I were forced to stop him when he tried to kill us.

"In my second year, an artifact took control of a student's mind. The trauma of this event would later lead to her joining Nathan and my group, the group that would become Chimera. You should know this person very well. After all, you signed a betrothal contract with her parents shortly after I was born."

"Daphne?!"

"Yes. Through her, Voldemort reopened the Chamber of Secrets. Eventually, Nathan and I, again, were the only ones willing to step in and save her when she was taken into the Chamber itself.

"She did not escape unscathed, of course. No-one would. But, with help, she managed.

"Shortly after the Chamber was closed once again, Fred and George Weasley overheard a conversation as we tried to figure out who was behind it all. They were the ones brought Ron and Hermione into the group, the following year. Not much happened then, of course, except Daphne, over the summer, overheard her parents talking about a surge in activity in Eastern Europe, and the Dark Mark carved into stone in Little Hangleton.

"That's when Nathan started having the dreams. When fourth year began, we all knew something was going to happen, and you were there when the house of cards collapsed."

"So you're saying that because none of the adults were willing to do anything about these things, you won't come back?"

"I'm saying that that is one of my reasons."

"What are the others?"

\- o -

"Lily, you can't seriously be saying that we should let him stay here? We need him. You heard what Nathan said, he's the only one who can kill Voldemort."

"I know that, James. All I'm saying is that perhaps he's justified in not wanting to come back."

"So how do we convince him?

\- o -

'Alright, Harry, how do we go about this?' he asked himself. 'I don't want to go myself, but… I also don't want the few people I care about back there to suffer, and if Voldy wins, he might eventually wage war on the U.S.' Harry sighed in irritation. 'There's no good way to do this. Unless?...' He turned his head to the side. 'Yes, that could work. I'll talk to the General about that when they leave.'

\- o -

April 19th, 2002

Harry walked into the meeting room for his last meeting with the elder Potters. He sighed in relief. After today, he would be free of their attempts to force him to return.

As Lily and James entered the room, he immediately noticed that something was off. Lily's nervousness, while apparent during each meeting for the past five days, had seemingly gotten much worse overnight, and even James, known for having the 'perfect poker face', had developed a nervous twitch. Harry's hand reached for his zat as James started speaking.

As he had several times prior after deciding his course of action, Harry zoned out, hearing but not listening. If something he cared about were mentioned, he'd pay attention, but everything else he'd gloss over. It was when he heard a voice on the intercom, however, that he really paid attention.

"SG-1 to the Gate Room! I repeat, SG-1 to the Gate Room!"

"I apologize, but I'm going to have to cut this meeting short," Harry said, not sounding apologetic in the least. "When the situation is resolved, whatever it is, I'll give you my answer." He began to leave.

Lily panicked, and James went pale. He'd already decided. As Harry walked by, James tackled him to the floor and activated his emergency portkey. Lily's triggered only a few seconds behind.

\- - - o - - -


	28. Part IV Chapter 1

You know, before the previous chapter I had never before pissed someone off enough (unintentionally) that they send me a PM and then block me from PMing them… without thinking about the fact that when you block someone from contacting you using private messages, they can't read any you sent them. I think I like making people do stupid stuff, it's a nice feeling.

* * *

April 19th, 2002

Entrance Hall, Hogwarts School

With a flash of light, three people appeared on the first floor landing. Harry immediately pulled himself away from James' grasp, drawing the zat'nik'tel he had foolishly holstered as he got up from his chair. Almost as an afterthought, he drew his power into his palm, forming a glowing cyan shield. As several people thundered down the stairs, Harry searched for his staff. He cursed aloud when he could not find it.

Harry turned to face the group forming behind him, keeping his weapon trained on James. "Where am I?" He demanded.

"Y-you're at Hogwarts," Lily said.

"Why?"

"Because we need you to help us," James said, "and you refused."

"You dumb fuck! How in the name of Ganos Lal do you think I can help you defeat a Dark Lord who has been running roughshod over magical Europe for seven fucking years? Well? How?"

"T-the prophecy," Lily stammered, "it said…"

"The prophecy says that only you can end the Dark Lord's reign," Professor McGonagall said. "Usually I do not put stock in the words of self-proclaimed 'seers,' but You-Know-Who is indestructible, to all means we know, just as the prophecy itself states! Only you can kill him, Harry Potter. Do you want the deaths of everyone he kills to be on your conscience?"

"It won't be," Harry proclaimed. "You saw to that." Coiled bolts of lightning arced through the air towards the onlookers as Harry turned a snake statuette towards the crowd. McGonagall's eyes widened when one of the bolts bypassed her shield, and she slumped to the ground with the rest.

Harry, satisfied, ran towards the doors to the grounds. He growled in aggravation when the behemoth door refused to budge. He diverted energy from the shield in an effort to override the locking spell. Nothing. He raised the serpentine handgun once again. Before he could fire on the door, a jet of red light struck him in the back, and he fell into a magically-induced slumber.

\- o -

"I'm glad you were willing to meet with me on such short notice, Prime Minister," Major Paul Davis said solemnly.

"I understand it's a matter of some importance?"

"Indeed. A little over twenty-four hours ago, British ambassadors representing a classified branch of your government kidnapped an Air Force officer from a secure facility. They managed to escape with their prisoner, bypassing all security measures, before an alarm could even be sounded."

"I see," Prime Minister Tony Blair said, disturbed. "I can assure you, my people had no part in this… attack."

"That's all well and good, Prime Minister, but what are you going to do about it?"

"The only thing I can do," he responded with an irritated sigh.

\- o -

Hospital Wing, Hogwarts School

Harry awoke with a groan to the sight of the white walls of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. As he tried to get up, he noticed that he was strapped down. Remembering why he was there made his blood boil, and he decided to be as difficult a prisoner as he could until he was let go or he escaped.

Several minutes passed before his awakening was noticed by his captors.

"Harry? You're awake?"

"Draco?" Harry asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," the former Slytherin admitted. The man waved his wand at the bed, releasing the bindings. "How have you been?"

"Much better before I was _kidnapped_."

Draco winced. "Yeah… Nathan reamed the both of them for that. It was… not pretty. He questioned the Order's sanity for sending them, of all people."

"What do you mean, Nathan did?"

"Didn't they tell you? He became the leader of the Order of the Phoenix after Kingsley stepped down."

"Why was Kingsley in charge of this… Order?"

"Oh, the Order is an organization Dumbledore started in the first war against the Dark Lord. Dumbledore was driven out of Britain, and Moody was his replacement. He was killed in… one of several attacks leading up to the takeover"

A smirk grew on Harry's face. "Who drove Dumbles out?"

"The general public, for how he handled… the events at the end of the Tournament."

"Good. Bastard deserved it."

"I can't say I disagree," Draco admitted. "And, get this, you know how everyone kept saying he was the only one the Dark Lord ever feared?"

"I heard something to that effect," Harry confirmed.

"Well, turns out, Dumbledore actually _enabled_ Voldemort! When he was driven out, the Ministry was able to put several pieces of legislation, that Dumbledore had actively _blocked_ in the previous war, that delayed the takeover for a little over six years!"

"Sadly, I can't say I'm surprised," Harry said with a sigh.

"Yeah. Hey, how much did they actually tell you before kidnapping you?"

"Apparently, not nearly enough."

\- o -

Harry was mulling over what Draco had told him. 'Why didn't they tell me these things? What else am I being kept in the dark about?' Harry sighed with irritation. 'At least I'm not strapped down anymore.' A creak from the other end of the hospital wing snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, little bro," he heard as a figure approached.

"Nathan?"

"Yeah. Draco told me you weren't actually told what's really going on." He sighed. "  
They couldn't even do that right."

"Why did you send them to talk to me?"

Nathan laughed bitterly. "I didn't." He sighed. "The Order was pissing me off, more than they usually do. I… foolishly left it up to them to decide the ambassadors, and left the room to calm down. By the time I learned who they were sending, they had been listed officially as our representatives.

"For the record, I explicitly told them to not use force, I even made it a direct order."

"What are you going to do to them for violating it?"

"I'm stripping them of their rank, and demoting them to the bottom tier of the Order," Nathan responded. "I can't have people who disobey direct orders just because they don't like them. Kingsley's getting demoted, too, for that matter."

"What'd he do?" Harry asked.

"He gave them the portkeys they used to kidnap you."

"That isn't too bad, is it? I mean, as much as I don't like being kidnapped, you can't blame the gunmaker for a shooting."

"The portkeys he gave them were unauthorized, both by their commanding officer and the American governments."

Harry whistled. "I'd hate to be him right now. Hey, if they weren't supposed to have portkeys, how were they supposed to get back here? Apparating?"

"No, all major United States cities apparently have anti-apparation wards to prevent 'unwanted persons' from getting in, and to stop criminals from escaping. There was an international floo connection they were to take, due to open a few hours after the last meeting was supposed to end. The three of you appeared as we were setting up some traps for any Death Eaters to enter the castle."

"So much has changed for the worse," Harry mused aloud.

"Yeah. I miss the old days," Nathan said sadly. "Everything was… peaceful, pleasant… no risk of imminent death every day. I'm sorry they forced you into this. Brought you into a warzone."

Harry chortled despite himself. "I was already in one."

"What in the bloody hell are you smoking? We found you literally _under a mountain_, Harry. That's about as far from a war zone as you can get."

"My assignment… takes me places." Harry outright grinned. "I can't tell you nearly everything, but I might be able to let a few things slip. Sit down, we'll catch up."


	29. Only Almost a Chapter

Sorry I haven't updated in almost half a year. I was rereading what I had written, and realized that I had inadvertently changed the flow of the story to the point that what I had written for the next several chapters didn't make sense. When I tried to rewrite those chapters, I found that I had also written myself into a corner that I can't escape from without changing the perspective the entire story is told from.

After dealing with the writer's block that realization left me with, I have spent the rest of that time attempting to do just that and get Electus Unum back on track. I've also decided to reintegrate some of the plot points I left out of the currently posted version, as it appears that, despite not serving the story directly, it does help set up some of the characters.

I don't usually believe in "teaser" chapters, but just to give you lot an idea on what to expect...

\- o -

March 14th, 2000

"We need to evacuate," Harrison said, visibly straining from the effort of blocking the bombardment.

"How many at a time can we manage, do you think?" O'Neill asked.

"Six or seven could make it past the patrols, I believe. Any more than that is pushing it."

"I'll organize everyone into groups." Harrison suddenly winced in pain, and the shield briefly fell. The complex shook from the force of the Goa'uld weaponry impacting directly above them. "How much longer can you maintain the shield?"

"A few hours, probably. I hope," he responded, gritting his teeth.

"If there's anything we can do, let us know."

"Okay. Go. Get everyone out of here."

"Where's the Eye?"

"I'll handle the Eyes. Just get everyone to the stargate!" Harrison felt the shield collapse again, and he almost fell to the floor from exhaustion. He gripped his staff tightly to hold himself upright. "Go!"

The evacuation of the Alpha Site took two hours, and Harrison was dead on his feet when he arrived at Stargate Command. He fell to the ramp, unconscious before his head struck the metal grid.


	30. Rewrite Posted

While the rewrite has not been finished entirely, I have posted it. In the interest of not having two stories with the same plot, albiet different narrative viewpoints, up, I intend to remove the original version from this website.

On a more positive note, the rewrite is well underway, and the entirety of Part 1 is posted.

s/12013445/1/Electus-Unum


End file.
